Power Rangers: End of Days
by project314
Summary: In the year 2009, the death of a Ranger will bring all veteran Rangers together, from the MMPR era to the RPM era, for what could very well be their last adventure. Full trailer posted inside after chapter 1. Oh, and please read, love & review!
1. A Parting of Ways

_**Power Rangers: End of Days**_

_**Chapter 1**_

_**A Parting of Ways**_

___(Original Posting Date: October 13th, 2008)_**  
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_Author's note 1: For those of you who are reading Power Rangers: Countdown, no need to worry, that fic will continue to be updated._

_Author's note 2: This story, while it might seem to start off lightheartedly enough, will get quite dark, quite fast. Just a warning._

_Author's note 3: If you enjoy this, remember to sign up for Story Alerts or Author Alerts. You'll get an e-mail every time a new chapter goes up._

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San Angeles - 2007_

A few days ago, Earth had come under attack by a great evil, Thrax, spawn of the infamous Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa. Bringing together the rival factions that were all after the jewels of the Corona Aurora, the legendary Crown of the Gods, Thrax was able to deliver a crippling blow to the Overdrive Rangers by severing their connection to the Morphing Grid, source of their powers.

While the powerless Rangers had been determined to foil Thrax's plans at any costs, the Sentinel Knight, guardian of the crown, summoned five veteran Rangers from across time and space to assist them: Adam Park, the Black Power Ranger, Tori Hanson, the Blue Wind Ranger, Kira Ford, the Yellow Dino Ranger, Bridge Carson, the Red SPD Ranger and Xander Bly, the Green Mystic Ranger.

Eventually, the Overdrive Rangers' powers were restored and, with the assistance of their new allies, they were able to defeat Thrax and send his alliance scattering.

And now, it was time to say goodbye, something Bridge Carson, a visitor from the year 2027, had never been particularly good at. In the short time he had spent in his past, he had grown attached to his new teammates and he had been captivated by the technological progresses this time had achieved, even though such advances were dwarfed by the innovations he witnessed in his own time in Newtech City.

Unfortunately, nothing lasted forever and, as current leader of B-Squad, he had a responsibility to his team to be there for them. If that meant cutting his stay in 2007 a bit short, then so be it.

"So you're going to look us up as soon as you get back, right?" Victoria 'Tori' Hanson asked him as they followed the others out the front doors of Andrew Hartford's palatial mansion, which doubled as the Overdrive Rangers' base of operations.

"Absolutely," Bridge answered, as he caught a glimpse of the Sentinel Knight, who waited for them in the distance. "With the information and technology I have access to as the leader of B-Squad, I'll have a lock on you all in no time."

"And we could have, like, a 20-year reunion," Dax Lo, the Blue Overdrive Ranger, contributed excitedly from the front of the pack, walking backwards as he said this to see his friends, as they all laughed at the prospect of the event.

"So, one thing I've been meaning to ask you, Bridge," Kira said, falling back, to walk by his side, "is what's my music career like in 20 years? Am I superstar?"

"You know he probably can't answer that," Rose Ortiz, the Pink Overdrive Ranger, slipped in. "Any information about the future might result in us doing things differently and therefore altering our destinies. There're probably rules prohibiting Bridge from answering that question."

"Actually," Bridge corrected, "I could probably tell you." Kira's features brightened up at the prospect of finding out what the future held for her. "But then I'd have to wipe that information from your memory," he specified.

"Well, not to worry, Kira" Xander said encouragingly, "I'm sure you're going to be huge 20 years from now." When he caught her glare, he quickly added, "I mean, musically, obviously. And did I mention I'd set up a really cool display, free of charge at the Rock Porium?"

"Smooth, man. Smooth," Will Aton, the Black Overdrive Ranger, whispered to Xander, giving him a clap on the back.

"He's totally right, though, Kira," Veronica 'Ronny' Robinson, the Yellow Overdrive Ranger added, smiling broadly. "You'll be a music star. I'll be a world renowned race car driver. Dax'll be a leading man in the biggest Hollywood acion blockbusters. Things are going to be great for all of us."

"Why don't we start by defeating Flurious first?" Tyzonn, the Mercury Ranger, interjected pragmatically. "And Moltor, Kamdor and Miratrix and the Fear Cats?"

"We could always stick around," Adam offered as he walked next to Alpha 6, the fully sentient automaton who'd offered assistance to his team back in Angel Grove and whose role had been instrumental in mending the Overdrive Ranger's connection to the Morphing Grid.

"We should be fine," Andrew Hartford, the Overdrive Rangers' mentor, answered, as he walked, flanked by Spencer, the family's butler. "The odds aren't particularly great, but then again, when have they even been?"

Adam nodded silently at that as they finally reached the Sentinel Knight, who stood by a large portal of red energy, the edges of which sizzled with bolts of white.

"Well, I guess this is it then," Mackenzie 'Mack' Hartford, the Red Overdrive Ranger, said as he held out his hand and offered it to Bridge.

"Yeah," Bridge conceded, then smiled broadly, "but I'll see you guys soon."

"Right," Mack laughed, "what with that whole time travel thing, it'll be tomorrow."

Once he'd exchanged parting words with everyone, Bridge walked up to the Sentinel Knight. "Thank you again, Bridge," the Knight told him. "Our time owes you a great debt of gratitude."

Bridge nodded, turned around and gave everyone a final wave, then stepped into the portal.

* * *

_Newtech City - 2027_

When Bridge walked out of the portal, he found himself in the S.P.D. Academy's. command center. His vision momentarily blurred as his body readjusted itself following his travels through time and space, and right then, he wished he hadn't eaten as many of those buttered toasts Spencer had offered him.

"Bridge, you freak of nature!" came the familiar voice of Sydney 'Syd' Drew, the Pink SPD Ranger, seconds before he felt his teammate's arms wrap around him tightly. "Where have you been?"

"Hey Syd," Bridge answered, returning the embrace, "it's a really long story."

She let go of him and took a step back, allowing his other teammates to step into view: Elizabeth 'Z' Delgado, the Yellow SPD Ranger, Jack Landors, recently reinstated as the Blue SPD Ranger, and Sophie, the Green SPD Ranger. With them stood Katherine 'Kat' Manx, SPD's tech specialist and her second-in-command, Boom, as well as the newly appointed Commander of SPD's Earth division, Schuyler 'Sky' Tate.

"Well you have been gone for a few days," Sky said, stepping forward and giving his friend a firm handshake. "We were starting to get worried."

"Long story short," Bridge started, "I was recruited by the Sentinel Knight, the mystical guardian of the Corona Aurora, to travel back to 2007 and fight alongside the Rangers of that time and other veteran Rangers against the combined forces of Thrax, the son of Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa, and his alliance of evil."

"Right," Z said in response, frowning slightly.

"Did anybody else get that?" Jack asked, looking to his teammates for confirmation that he wasn't the only one who was lost. Seeing their equally confused expressions helped make him feel better.

"Why don't we discuss this in more detail tomorrow morning?" Sky suggested formally. "The important thing right now is that Bridge is safe and back here with us. We'll reconvene here at 800 hours and until then, you're all dismissed."

As the others filed out of the room, grateful for a chance to get a good night's rest after the last few worry-filled days, Bridge walked up to Sophie, the team's resident cyborg.

"It's really great to have you back, Bridge," she said, a broad smile on her face.

"Thanks Sophie," Bridge replied, returning the smile. "I missed you guys too." He paused a moment, then continued, "Listen. I'm going to need your help with something."

"Sure," she answered, nodding. "What?"

"I'd like you to hook up to the system and run a search on some people," he explained.

"Alright," she agreed. "What for?"

"A reunion," he said.

_To be continued..._

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_I hope you liked that. We're in the setup phase for the first couple chapters, then it's action, drama, mystery and all sorts of awesomeness I hope to deliver on. Thanks for reviewing and commenting, and here is the trailer for the full story:_

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**Voiceover as text appears simultaneously on black screen (VO): For over fifteen years, they have faced the most insurmountable odds…**

Fade in to Wesley and Eric fighting off Cyclobots in the Clock Tower in _The End of Time_.

Cut to Leo, morphed, holding Trakeena still with his Battlizer. He fires to finish her off and they are both engulfed in an explosive inferno, from _Journey's End_.

Cut to Tommy, Adam, Kimberly, Billy, Aisha and Rocky, standing by helplessly as the Thunder Megazord and the Tigerzord are destroyed in _Ninja Quest_. Fade out on Kimberly screaming.

Cut to flashes of Chad, Kelsey, Joel and Dana fighting Battlings in the Aquabase hallways in _The Fate of Lightspeed_.

**Fade out to black (VO): ... yet somehow always managed to pull through.**

Fade in to Shane, Dustin and Tori summoning the power of air, earth and water, focusing their energies into a beam that sends Lothor into the Abyss of Evil in _Storm Before the Calm_.

Cut to Andros, morphed, slashing his Spiral Saber across Zordon's tube in _Countdown to Destruction_, releasing a wave of energy that wipes out Dark Specter's forces.

Cut to Mack, Ronnie, Will, Rose, Dax and Tyzonn in their final fight against the Chillers in _Crown and Punishment_, morphing one by one as they get ready to take Flurious down once and for all.

**Fade out to black (VO): Now, as they have all settled into their regular lives…**

Fade in to Danny and wife Kendall, walking side by side in a park on a sunny day, pushing a stroller in which their daughter, Elizabeth, is peacefully sleeping.

Cut to a music studio where Tanya and Kira are together, recording their first collaboration.

Cut to Casey, Lily and Theo throwing a football around on the beach as we get a glimpse of RJ and his father catching a wave in the background.

Cut to Madison, walking around the Rock Porium, her camcorder in hand as she films Vida, Xander and Chip. As she approaches Nick, she turns the camera onto herself just in time to catch a quick kiss on film.

**Fade out to black (VO): …those same lives will spin out of control**

Fade in to an establishing shot of S.P.D.'s Delta Base. Cut to the command center, where Supreme Commander Anubis Cruger and Commander Sky Tate are facing off, their tones rising.

Sky: "I can't believe that you had this information and never once acted on it."

Cruger: "You know it isn't our place to meddle with the past, Sky."

Sky: "But it is our place to cover this up? I don't think so, sir."

Sky turns around to walk away, but Cruger grabs his shoulder.

Cruger: "Stand down, Sky."

Sky: "Not gonna happen."

Light flashes through the room, leaving Sky standing as the Shadow Ranger. He quickly renders Cruger unconscious.

**Fade out to black (VO): This Fall…**

Fade into the cover page of a newspaper. The main headline reads: _Brutal murder shocks community._

Fade into a close-up of Adam. As the camera pulls out, we see he is dressed in black and stands beside a tombstone, on which the name is hidden by a large bouquet of flowers. He is surrounded by the Rangers of the MMPR through Jungle Fury eras, all dressed in black.

Adam: "A brave and courageous leader, a loyal friend, a brother in arms to all of us here who've carried the responsibility of the Power."

**Fade out to black (VO): …the stakes have never been higher…**

Fade in to Adam, who is flanked by Xander, Bridge, Kira and Tori.

Adam: "This ends now. Ready?"

Xander, Bridge, Kira and Tori: "Ready!"

Adam: "It's morphin' time! Black Ranger power!"

Tori: "Ninja Storm, Ranger form! Ha!"

Kira: "Dino Thunder, power up! Ha!"

Bridge: "S.P.D., Emergency!"

Xander: "Magical Source, Mystic Force!"

**Fade to black (VO): …or the odds more against them.**

Fade in to Madison and Vida, morphed, in Legend Mode, holding out their Mystic Lion Staffs in front of them.

Madison: "Ready, sis?"

Vida: "Rock on. Let's amp this up a notch."

Madison, having dialed the 2 on her Mystic Lion Staff: "Code 2! Tidal Wave!"

Vida, having dialed the 2 on her Mystic Lion Staff: "Code 2! Whirlwind!"

Madison and Vida cross their staffs and keep pouring their energy into the elemental spell, making its power intensify. The sky darkens above and lightning flashes as gale force winds and torrential rains surge.

**Fade to black (VO): And they will be tested…**

Fade into Dana, who is sprawled on the floor, gasping for breath. Carter is by her side, but a force field keeps him from her.

Dana: "Carter, I can't breathe."

The fear of the inevitable is clear in her eyes and her voice. Carter has tears in his eyes as their hands almost meet.

Carter: "You'll be fine, Dana. Just hold on, baby."

**Fade to black (VO): …like never before.**

Fade into Lily, sitting on the ground, her knees held tightly to her chest, her eyes red. Wes is sitting next to her and has his arm around her shoulder.

Lily: "I don't want to die, Wes."

Wes: "Then don't."

_**Power Rangers: End of Days**_

_Coming this fall…_


	2. In Your Dreams

_**Chapter 2  
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_**In Your Dreams  
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___(Original Posting Date: October 17th, 2008)_

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_Mirinoi - 2009_

_On the horizon, the sun was slowly setting in the cloudless sky, a halo of warm vibrant colors wrapping themselves around it as it seemed to immerse itself in the calm waters below. Darkness would soon come._

_Maya, the young woman from the distant planet of Mirinoi and the former Yellow Galaxy Ranger, stared off into the distance, taking in the perfect sunset, as she walked, barefoot, by the water. A soft breeze coming in from the ocean sent stray strands of her hair into her face. The sounds of the waves breaking on the shore soothed her senses, bringing a smile on her lips._

"_So what are you thinking about?" her best friend Shondra asked as she walked beside her, her steps mirroring Maya's._

_Maya tore her eyes away from the setting sun and looked down, watching her feet sink just a bit into the cool moist sand as they continued walking along the shore. "The sunset, this place, it's just, so beautiful, so hopeful," Maya answered._

"_I know what you mean," Shondra replied thoughtfully. "But it's going to get dark soon, Maya. You'd better enjoy this while it lasts."_

_As Maya turned to face Shondra, she was surprised to find herself alone. A shiver coursed through her spine as she looked around her at the slowly darkening surroundings, her gaze stopping on a familiar object sticking out of the sand, out of place on the deserted beach. She finally knew where she was, in Terra Venture's ocean dome._

_She took a few paces away from the water, her feet feeling heavier in the dry sand, and finally reached a sword, the hilt of which pointed upward. It stood at the same angle, in the same spot, unmoved and untouched, just as she'd left it all those years ago for a fallen friend._

"_It never gets easier, Maya" she heard his grave voice intone behind her. She turned around and immediately recognized the centuries-old armor-clad warrior that stood there._

"_Loyax?" she asked him, her eyes watering up even as she told herself he couldn't really be there. "But Deviot destroyed you."_

"_Indeed my last breath was rendered on that fateful day," he confirmed, approaching her, "when you led me back onto the path of good I had abandoned all those centuries ago."_

"_I've missed you," Maya said, bridging the gap between them with a few steps. She threw her arms around his neck, careful not to cut herself on the spikes of his armored body, and raised herself on her toes, giving the towering warrior a hug. She soon felt his heavy right hand settle gently on her back. After a few silent moments, he removed his hand and she took a step back._

"_You showed me that no matter how desperate a cause, how great the sacrifices, we must never stop fighting, never give up," Loyax stated, turning towards the ocean, the last few rays of the sun casting a warm glow on his metallic face._

"_It's what heroes do, Loyax," Maya said, taking a step to stand beside him. "It's what you did for us that day."_

"_And it is why I come to you now, Maya," Loyax continued. "You must go, all of you, to the planet your friends once called home. Never before has the legacy of the Power Rangers been tested as it will."_

"_What's going to happen?" Maya asked, feeling her throat dry up._

"_The end," Loyax explained, sorrowful. "And while nothing would appease my soul more than your promise to stay away from those who are doomed to fall, I know now that death, if it results in the slightest chance at the safety of loved ones, is not to be feared."_

_By now, the sun had gone and what should have been a clear starry night was instead filling with heavy clouds. Thunder roared above as a heavy rain started to come down and the wind picked up._

_Loyax turned away from the ocean towards the spot where his sword had been left to rest. Maya did the same, and as she peered through the darkness, she saw that Loyax' sword was gone, replaced by a blade she was only too familiar with._

"_The Magna Blaster?" she asked aloud, recognizing the weapon that Mike Corbett had wielded as the Magna Defender. Currently in sword mode, it stuck out of the sand exactly as Loyax' sword had. And forming a perfect circle around it were the Quasar Sabers, source of the Galaxy Rangers' powers._

_When Loyax offered no answer, she turned around and saw that he was gone, leaving her alone as the rain and wind built up in their intensity, thunder rumbling loudly in the sky, flashes of lightning providing her with the light necessary to take in more of her surroundings._

_All around her, everywhere she looked, she saw them, weapons, arranged in much the same way the Magna Blaster and Quasar Sabers had been. One moment, she caught a flash of a sword with a red hilt, under which an axe, daggers, a lance and a bow were propped up. The next, she saw another blade, this one familiar, as it belonged to a friend, Andros, the Red Space Ranger. Beneath the Spiral Saber, she recognized his teammates' weapons. Later still, she saw the Lightspeed Rangers' V-Lancers standing upright in the sand._

"_Maya, it's gotten so dark," she heard Shondra's voice say behind her._

"_We need to get out of here, Shondra," Maya started to say as she turned to face her friend. "Something is seriously, seriously wrong here," she finished as lightning lit up the sky again, casting light on the thing that stood in front of her. "Rykon!" Maya shouted, recognizing the monster that had impersonated her best friend in an attempt to steal the Galaxy Book during her time on Terra Venture._

"_Hello Maya," Rykon said in her real voice, striking at her with a backhand so strong it took her off her feet and spun her in the air for a few seconds before she landed in the wet sand, unconscious.  
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"So let me try to wrap my head around this," Damon Henderson, the Green Galaxy Ranger, said as he and the rest of his former teammates all stood around the stone where they had returned their Quasar Sabers after their defeat of Trakeena in Mariner Bay, "Loyax, who's dead, comes to you, in a dream, and tells you we need to go back to Earth to avert some kind of apocalypse, and you want us to do it."

"I know it sounds crazy," Maya admitted, looking down at the ground.

"Not necessarily," Kendrix Morgan, the Pink Galaxy Ranger, remarked. "Remember when we became Rangers and Maya sensed the Galactabeasts needed help before we even knew about them?"

"So she has some kind of psychic connection to them, and therefore this dream with Loyax might be a manifestation of that ability?" Mike Corbett, who wielded the powers of the Magna Defender, offered.

"Exactly!" Kendrix answered, enthusiastic that for once, one of her friends was actually keeping up with her.

"I still say it sounds crazy," Damon insisted.

"We trusted her instincts when it came to the Galactabeasts and that paid off," Leo Corbett, the Red Galaxy Ranger, reminded Damon. "I say we go to Earth. Besides, we're way overdue for a visit anyway."

"I'll contact Andros," Kai Chen, the Blue Galaxy Ranger, offered. "If Maya's dream was any indication of what's to come, it probably won't hurt to have the Space Rangers come with us. Besides, the Astro Megaship mark 4 is our best shot at getting to Earth as soon as possible."

"First things first, though," Leo said as he aligned himself with his Quasar Saber. His friends nodded, took their places by his side and, all at once, they took hold of the sabers and pulled them out of the stone, energy coursing wildly through their blades.

While Kendrix, Kai, Damon and Mike immediately started to head for Mirinoi's communications center, Leo noticed Maya was just staring at her sword.

"It'll be okay Maya," he reassured her, stepping in front of her and putting his free hand on her shoulder, his features confident. "It always is."

"When I woke up after that dream," Maya said, her voice quavering as she looked him in the eyes, "I went to see the Galactabeasts. They normally make me feel good, and safe. But not today. Today, they felt agitated, distraught. They were scared for us, Leo."

_To be continued..._

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_So to be completely truthful, this chapter was supposed to be all about Bridge. Then I had the idea of a dream for Maya, and that scene grew so much and the visuals were really awesome (although I don't know how that will have translated to the written story) that I decided to put Bridge's storyline on the backburner until Chapter 3. So, next chapter, we're back in 2027!_

_Now, being a comic book fan, I used to really love letter pages, so I'll be giving feedback to the feedback._

_First off, Itz Rayz asked about pairings in this story. To many people, that might translate to "Who's Tommy going to be with?", and to those people, I have to say I still don't know, although it will not be Kirommy. Some pairings I can reveal because I've already thought of them a bit, such as Jen & Wes, Dana & Carter and possibly Syd & Sky. Will there be more? Quite probably, so send in your requests, though they have to be believable (ie Billy and Lily or Dustin and Kendrix, nuh uh)._

_Second, ae1102 seems to have narrowed down the candidates for the funeral in the trailer. All I will say for now is that the funeral will indeed be held for a Red Ranger. Is it Tommy or Jason? Or someone else entirely? Keep reading._

_Flowers-n-Ginger, Ms. Fairweather, Red shadow Ranger, crazedchick & Pinkranger888, thanks for the encouragement!_

_BlueCrimson4Ever, I myself get goosebumps reading that trailer, especially since I'm actually picturing the scenes in context. It's gonna be in-sane._

_So thank you to everyone who wrote in, and also to everyone who gave the story a read, from all corners of the globe, this story is for you all. If you have questions, comments, whatever, post in the review section and you should find a response on our own little letters page here with the following update._

_Power down!_


	3. A Brief Mystery of Time

_**Chapter 3  
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_**A Brief Mystery of Time  
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___(Original Posting Date: October 30th, 2008)_

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_Author's note 1: Just thought I'd mention it again, as a friendly warning. This story isn't called End of Days for nothing, so if Ranger/character death turns you off, look away! I don't mind getting flames in the reviews, but I think readers should at least have an inkling of what they're getting into. It's gonna be a wild ride, but it's also going to be a rough one._

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_Newtech City - 2027_

The command center was empty upon Bridge's return, save for Sophie who was jacked into the system, running a search for the Rangers he'd met in the past. As he walked in, he saw her standing by the central console, her back to him, unmoving as her systems processed information at unimaginable speeds.

"Didn't you just eat?" she questioned him although there was no way she could have seen him, the command center being devoid of mirrors or reflective surfaces.

"How did you-," Bridge started to ask before he gave a little chuckle and started looking around him towards the ceiling. "No wait, I know. You're wired into the camera feeds and you saw me walk in with my plate."

"Nuh-uh," she replied, turning to face him, her palm still on the console's surface so she could keep her connection to the data feed. "Just heard you chewing, and from the enthusiasm with which you were doing that, I'm going to guess that was, I don't know, buttered toast?"

"Am I really that obvious?" Bridge asked her, tilting his head to the side.

The look Sophie gave him answered that question better than any words she could have spoken. "You still didn't answer my first question," she said.

"Oh," Bridge realized, conscious of his record for leading conversations to places that were completely different from where they started. "It's just that, technically, I ate that stack of toast twenty years ago, which it turns out was actually less than an hour ago really, but thinking about all that confused me and I got hungry again. Besides, buttery," Bridge finished with a smile, wiggling his fingers unconsciously as he'd developed the unshakeable habit of doing every time he said the word.

Sophie shook her head, returning her squad leader's smile. "Well, it's good to have you and your quirkiness back here in the present."

"Thanks, Sophie," Bridge replied. Pointing towards the console, he continued, "so, what do you have for me?"

She took a moment to shift her attention back to the task at hand and frowned slightly before speaking again. "It's odd. I can't find a single trace of any of those people."

"What do you mean?" Bridge asked, his natural curiosity piqued by her statement.

"I mean I can't find information on any of those names," she explained, turning towards the console so they could both see the screen where her searches were running. "I've gone through all the sources I have access to, from networking spaces to galactic search engines. I've tried common spellings for their names, known family members, places of business, along with the most common misspellings for all of those. The Academy's archive doesn't have anything helpful either."

"I was there, Sophie," Bridge countered, as he started to pace back and forth near the console, trying to come up with scenarios that could provide a reasonable explanation. "It was the year 2007 in San Angeles, and I was with the Overdrive Rangers and four other Rangers from teams that preceded them."

"I don't know what to tell you Bridge," she said. "I mean, 2007, that's two years before the strike that leveled this state. Maybe they tried to stop it but weren't successful."

Bridge stopped in his tracks and looked in her direction, weighing her words, but he stayed silent.

"Or maybe it's something completely different," she offered after another moment's thought. "Maybe they're alive, but just living under different identities."

Bridge's eyebrows shot up at that, and his eyes lit up as he as he processed that remote possibility, "like some sort of witness protection program, only for veteran Power Rangers, of course. With our past as protectors of the planet, lack of anonymity could lead villains who were thought defeated to rise once more and seek revenge against those who fought them. Not knowing where they are would definitely put a damper on a plan like that. Then again," he continued, frowning, "it also means I might have to put this whole twenty year reunion deal on ice."

"Unless you could access information on their new identities," Sophie offered helpfully.

Bridge just stood there quietly for a few moments, eyeing the console. An air of worry soon took over his features.

"Bridge? Are you okay?" Sophie inquired, taking her hand off the console, severing her connection to the Academy's information network.

"It's just," Bridge started, his face the picture of discomfort as he brought his hand to his mouth, "all that toast really isn't going down so well after all."

* * *

A short while after his initial search with Sophie, Bridge made his way to Sky's quarters, where he found his friend examining various logs, briefs and reports. As Commander of Earth's division of Space Patrol Delta, his former teammate could benefit from access to everything available in the command center and much more, thanks to his higher clearance level.

He quickly explained the events of his last few days and followed up with the results of his unsuccessful attempt to track down the former Rangers, only stopping on occasion to take a breath or answer one of Sky's questions.

"So, you want me to run a search on them and you're hoping that with my clearance level, you might stumble on something Sophie couldn't access," Sky summarized once Bridge was done.

"Look, Sky," Bridge pleaded, "I know that if you can access that kind of information, then that means it's classified information that only you have the rank to see, but all I really want is to know that they're okay."

"I'll do it Bridge," Sky said, placing a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "Just give me the names I should be looking for."

"Here," Bridge said as he retrieved a data card from his jacket pocket and handed it to Sky. "Sophie entered all her search protocols and widened the fields to include the names of other veteran Rangers that I heard of from the veteran Rangers I fought with."

"Say that again?" Sky asked, puzzled, as he slipped the data card into a slot beneath one of his consoles.

"Since Adam told me all about his team," Bridge explained as Sky keyed in his access codes to start the search, "and Tori, Kira and Xander too, I was able to get the names of a bunch of other inactive Rangers."

"Oh," Sky answered simply. "Alright then."

Bridge and Sky didn't have to wait long to get results. In almost all cases, results were impossible to access, which seemed to indicate that even Sky's clearance wouldn't be enough to gain access to more information.

One item however was presented differently and Sky quickly selected it, causing a holographic viewscreen to shimmer into view before them. On it was what appeared to be the front page of a local paper, dated June 17th 2009, on which the main headline read: _Brutal murder shocks community_. Beneath the headline was a large picture of the crime scene crawling with police officers along with a page reference for the full article.

Sky advanced to the page in question and started scanning the text. "No," he heard Bridge say next to him, "it can't be."

* * *

_Reefside, June 16__th__ 2009_

Thunder cracked in the black night sky as rain came down in droves on the otherwise deserted streets of Reefside. Struggling to keep his umbrella stable, Tommy Oliver was grateful when he finally found himself at his destination, the Cyberspace café, the local student hangout. Though it was closed for the evening, he was supposed to be meeting with its owner and manager, Hayley Sullivan, a close friend of his, who incidentally seemed to also be running late.

Pulling a spare key Hayley had given him for emergencies from his pocket, Tommy walked over to the front door, hoping to seek temporary shelter inside. When he arrived at the door, however, he saw that it was slightly ajar.

Knowing that Hayley wasn't the type to forget to lock up, Tommy assumed the worst and gently pushed the door open wide enough so he could step inside, closing it behind him and setting his umbrella down.

Trying to see through the darkness, he reflexively took a few steps to the side and raised his hand to where the light switch was supposed to be. He flicked it, but to no avail as the café remained bathed in darkness.

Even though his eyes quickly began to adjust to the lack of light, allowing him to see that there seemed to be no one there, Tommy felt differently.

He took a few steps forward, thinking that maybe if he could reach the computer stations, he could turn the machines on to have a light source when he was surprised by a strong gust of air behind him.

Tommy spun towards the spot the wind had seemingly come from and took a defensive stance, looking towards the door and seeing it was still closed.

The silence was broken by the familiar chime of his cell phone's ring tone and, as Tommy fished the device out of its case, he relaxed, realizing he was probably making a big deal out of nothing.

It was then that two pairs of hands grabbed him, their grip like a steel vise on his arms.

__

To be continued...

* * *

Honestly, I don't really know what to write at this point. The response here to this fic has been morphinomenal and I want to thank everyone who's posted reviews and/or contributed to the view count. That's what makes us writers do what we do. I don't really want to give anything away on Chapter 4 for now, but I hope to be able to write and post it in the next week.

Feedback to the feedback. There's a lot to respond to, but since it's really about specific topics, I'll group it up.

1) The trailer: Thanks for all the praise on this. I'm really happy with how that turned out and I think that as the story progresses and you can start putting those scenes in context, it'll only be more and more powerful when you look back at it.

2) The couples: A lot of suggestions, many of which were very interesting. You'll see a lot of traditional PR pairings, so long as the story allows for it, but I'll also be including some of those less common requests if the chemistry evolves in the right way.

3) Character questions: Trini will appear in this story as she is currently alive and well. Z is indeed the baby in the stroller in the trailer, so that should make for an interesting family reunion when she eventually meets Danny.

4) The death: I really liked all the speculation. Between Jason, Tommy, Rocky and TJ, everyone made some very good points. And no, the death did not change because of reader feedback, it was set in stone from the start.

_So, special thanks to ae1102, crazedchick, Shotokan Master, Red shadow Ranger, Spoony Spoonerson, Itz Rayz, Pinkranger888, LastWhiteRose, Yellow At Heart, BadWolf95, Grass King and astrum-faith for the feedback and suggestions. I really appreciate it._

_Thanks also to everyone who read, though this time, don't resist the "review" button. =P_

_Power down!_


	4. From Out of Nowhere, Part I

_**Chapter 4  
**_

_**From Out of Nowhere, Part I**_

___(Original Posting Date: October November 16th, 2008)_

* * *

_The Temple of Power_

In a place the existence of which only a chosen few were aware of, hidden and protected by the perilous secrets of the Desert of Despair, stood the legendary Temple of Power.

It was there that Zordon's first modern team of Rangers had traveled years ago after a battle with Rito Revolto had ended with the loss of their Thunderzords and the powers bestowed upon them to protect Earth from the relentless forces of Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd.

Fortunately for the Rangers, Ninjor, the keeper of the Temple rumored to have created the original Power Coins had been able to help them, by giving them new powers and Zords.

Over the following months, Ninjor had often assisted the Rangers in battle, something for which the ancient warrior had been grateful for, having spent several millennia living in seclusion.

Eventually, there came a time when the adventurous lifestyle that inevitably came with the fight against darkness lost a bit of its shine and he returned to his preferred life of quiet, introspective solitude in the Temple of power.

Years had since passed, and just as he'd felt a special connection form with the Rangers of Angel Grove when they first called on the powers of the Morphing Grid, he subsequently felt that very same bond every time a new chosen group or individual rose to the same challenge, whether it be in Turtle Cove, Mariner Bay, Ocean Bluff or countless other places. He'd even felt a connection to Rangers displaced from their time upon their morphing in the present and that bond was still there, regardless of their return to the future.

Now, as he floated several feet above the floor in a cross-legged position, meditating, surrounded by the flickering flames of dozens of candles burning softly in the darkness, Ninjor's mind was clear of all thoughts. Focused solely on his breathing, he let his senses take over, feeling the warmth of every flame, the slight breeze that came in through the temple doors, hearing the sounds of a waterfall that ran outside the temple near its gardens. Feelings of serenity and inner peace flowed through him as he felt as one with his surroundings.

Without warning, he felt an incredible pain in his chest, which broke his concentration. He crashed down onto the cool mist covered floor, knocking down an ancient urn and brass candle stands.

Ninjor had seldom felt this way, and as he lay facedown on the floor, his breathing ragged, his hand shot up to his chest. It was as if someone had torn a part of his soul, of his heart, out of his body, something that had only happened to him once before.

It had been shortly after Zordon's sacrifice had sent a wave of purifying energy coursing through the universe, an event that he'd also felt, though to a lesser extent because Zordon, having been at peace with his destiny, had embraced his fate, confident in the good that would come out of it. The Pink Galaxy Ranger, Kendrix Morgan, had perished destroying the Savage Sword on the planet Rashon after a heated battle against the Pink Psycho Ranger, who had wielded the sword's powers and used it to siphon away the powers of the Pink Space Ranger, Cassie Chan. Though she had accepted her own fate as her Quasar Saber had come down onto the Savage Sword, the pain felt by Kendrix in her final moments had been so excruciating that he had felt it, through his intimate connection to the Morphing Grid.

Realization dawned on Ninjor and tears of sorrow began to flow freely behind his visor. Sprawled on the ground, amidst broken fragments of the shattered urn, he raised his head to the heavens and let loose a scream of agony and grief that resonated throughout the Temple, causing candles to go out or fall to the floor, their light swallowed by the blanket of mist that covered it.

_

* * *

Reefside_

For a few brief moments, Tommy struggled, trying to break free from those who restrained him, but with no luck. His cell phone had fallen to the floor, where it kept ringing while its screen cast a faint glow.

Thinking quickly, he tried to spread his arms outward and back a bit and locked them in place while he brought his legs together and bent them. He then pushed himself into a back flip, forcing his assailants to loosen their grip on him.

Trusting his instincts in the darkness that still surrounded him, Tommy took advantage of the fact that his two attackers were still recovering and flipped the first into the air, making him land hard on the floor even as he dropped to a crouch and swept the second off his feet.

The moment he was back up, he felt a hand grab a hold of his shoulder. Instinctively, he spun around, his arm extended outward and he managed to connect with something hard that left him in more pain than he suspected he'd managed to inflict.

"Easy there, Dr. O," came a familiar voice from the last person he'd hit instants before the lights came on.

"Surprise?" Cole Evans, the Red Wild Force Ranger, said tentatively from his spot on the floor.

Tommy cast a quick glance at the people surrounding him. Ethan James, the Blue Dino Ranger, stood in front of him, the arm that had blocked his hit slowly turning back to normal. He was now flanked by another of Tommy's former students, Conner McKnight, the Red Dino Ranger, who gave him a friendly nod.

A few feet away, Eric Myers, the Quantum Ranger, was being helped to his feet by Taylor Earhart, the Yellow Wild Force Ranger. Behind the café's counter and spread throughout the room were several others of Tommy's closest friends, most of whom he'd also served as a Ranger with.

"I told them it was a bad idea," Hayley apologized to him from where she stood behind the counter, "but someone thought this would be more entertaining."

"Hey, it was worth the bruise I'm gonna have in the morning," Eric proclaimed as he leaned on his better half, catching his breath but smiling.

"Eric, you're an idiot," Wes Collins, the Red Time Force Ranger, stated with a laugh as he and Theodore J. Jarvis 'TJ' Johnson, onetime Red Turbo Ranger and Blue Space Ranger, approached the couple.

"Watch your mouth, Collins," Eric smirked. "Even with a bad back, I can still kick your ass."

"Hey you," Katherine Hillard, the girl who'd gone through several team incarnations as the Pink Ranger, whispered from beside Tommy, drawing his attention away from the bickering Silver Guardians. "I think you dropped something", she told him, her Australian accent shining through as she held up his cell phone.

"Kat!" he said, drawing her in for a kiss, quite conscious of the hems and haws that came from Ethan and Connor, who had apparently reverted back to their high school boy maturity levels and were joined in their teasing by the Yellow and White Dino Rangers, Kira Ford and Trent Fernandez.

When they broke off their brief kiss, Tommy found himself face to face with the rest of his original teammates, Zack Taylor, Kimberly Hart, Billy Cranston, Trini Kwan, Adam Park, Aisha Campbell, Tanya Sloan and Justin Stewart.

"Happy birthday, Tommy," Kimberly, his former girlfriend, offered with a warm smile as she stepped forward and gave him a hug. He wrapped his own arms around her as he looked to his other friends, now joined by Cassie Chan and Carlos Vallerte, the Pink and Black Space Rangers, Carter and Dana Grayson, the Red and Pink Lightspeed Rangers, Jen Scotts, the Pink Time Force Ranger, and Hayley.

"Wow, this is just, way too much, guys," Tommy thanked his assembled friends.

"You know," Kira said with a laugh, "I thought teachers were supposed to be more eloquent than that."

Tommy shot her a mock glare, but they both broke down in laughter, soon joined by the others.

"Okay, okay!" Zack called out, signaling everyone to quiet down with his hands. "I think it's time, to get this party started. Conner?"

"Way ahead of you," Conner replied even as he tapped into the latent powers of his dino gem, reaching the sound system in instants.

As music began to fill the Cyberspace, and friends started to break off into smaller groups to chat or dance, Tommy cast one last look around the room.

"Something wrong?" Kat asked, as her hand slipped into his and she started to pull him to the makeshift dance floor.

"No, but uh, where are Jason and Rocky?" Tommy inquired, referring to the original Red Ranger and his successor.

"Rocky offered to pick up some extra ice," Hayley explained, clearly embarrassed by her party-planning oversight. "And speaking of the devil…"

Tommy turned to the front door and saw Rocky deSantos struggle briefly with it, carrying large bags of ice. "Happy birthday, Tommy!" he called out with a nod of his head even as Hayley walked over to give him a hand.

"Oh, and don't worry about Jason," Trini said. "He got held back a bit in Angel Grove, but he should be here any time now."

"Yeah," Zack added after a spin, "you know Jase. He wouldn't miss this for the world."

_To be continued…_

_

* * *

So that's it for Chapter 4. It took longer than I thought it would, mainly because of a slight change of plans. The Ninjor scene that opened it up was not initially meant to exist. The original plan was to pick up where Chapter 3 left off and start with Tommy's encounter at Cyberspace. But, being an evil, evil author, I thought the peak of that Ninjor scene would really make people believe that Tommy had died, considering the timing. So, yeah, send whatever expletives and insults right to the review box… =P_

_That's actually part of what made me use From out of Nowhere as the chapter title. From a creative standpoint, there was this really unexpected scene that presented itself to me. From a story perspective, this thing that Ninjor felt did come from out of nowhere considering he was just at peace, meditating, and then, boom! The same can be said for the party, from Tommy's perspective, and eventually the events of the next chapter._

_Coming up in Chapter 5, more party and more SPD. Oh, right, and someone died. Maybe I should get to that..._

_Letters column! The reviews are getting wordier, I like…_

_Red shadow Ranger: I'd love for Bridge to be able to have that 20 year reunion. Ultimately though, that was more of an excuse to set up his search for the Once a Ranger team in the future. Stay tuned…_

_Whispering Ranger: A lot of very good questions. Sadly, if I were to answer them here, I'd have no story left to write. You'll just have to wait and see. And, no plans for slash, sorry. (I'll make that up to you with a really good Hunter/Dustin scene, though.)_

_Shotokan Master: The villain(s)… that whole reveal is going to be part of a killer cliffhanger coming up in 5-6 chapters. That's when things will get really crazy. Once that happens, you might look back and see certain clues left lying around._

_astrum-faith: You were wrong about the timing. The death, to be in the papers on the 17__th__, had to happen on the 16__th__. So the dates work out. As you just saw however, Tommy's still alive and kicking (literally). I'm a mean person? Check out my Hot Objects story and get back to me then, you'll see I can write nice moments as well…_

_ae1102: Swerved? By me? Whatever would give you that idea? Oh, wait… Yeah, you're right._

_LastWhiteRose: You can put the Kleenex away for now, Tommy's safe._

_Pinkranger888: It's classic to kill Tommy? I'm glad I didn't go the obvious route, then._

_Yellow at Heart: We'll be catching up with the Overdrive Rangers very soon. As to your couples, Hunter/Tori will be an item. As for Casey and Lily, I think I should give Theo a chance, since he and Lily just became an item less than a month ago…_

_So, thanks to Red shadow Ranger, crazedchick, Whispering Ranger, Shotokan Master, astrum-faith, Ms. Fairweather, ae1102, LastWhiteRose, Pinkranger888 and Yellow At Heart for your comments and reviews!_

_Also thanks for anyone checking out this and my other fics and to for this awesome site and the wicked Review this Story/Chapter button they added right under this. Click it, it's so cool!_

_Power down!_


	5. From Out of Nowhere, Part II

_**Chapter 5  
**_

_**From Out of Nowhere, Part II**_

___(Original Posting Date: December 8th, 2008)_

* * *

_Newtech City - 2027_

"And that's all I'm at liberty to tell you, Sky," Space Patrol Delta's Supreme Commander, Doggie Anubis Cruger concluded, facing his successor in the empty command center.

Once he and Bridge had found the article depicting the murder, Sky hadn't hesitated in contacting their old mentor. They needed more information, but every search they had run had ended with a dead end, even with assistance from Sophie.

Doggie had taken little time getting to Earth, as he'd been on his way even before Sky's call. However what had initially appeared to be a simple coincidence turned out to be anything but. News of Bridge's time travel adventures had apparently made their way to him quickly and it seemed he had expected the questions that had come to them and their outcome.

"With all due respect, sir," Sky replied, his usually respectful tone rising and betraying a hint of contempt aimed at the one who's footsteps he had followed in ever since his enrollment at S.P.D., "I can't believe that you had this information and never once acted on it."

"You know it isn't our place to meddle with the past, Sky," Doggie insisted. His view was one that Sky had always respected and abided by, knowing that matters involving the time stream were very delicate. Still, there was no justification for what he was expected to do.

"But it is our place to cover this up?" he exclaimed, outraged at the idea of doing nothing when they had the technology, the power, and most importantly, according to him, the duty, to intervene and make things right. "I don't think so, sir," he said calmly as he shook his head and looked Doggie in the eyes.

Sky turned around to walk away, their conversation over in his mind, but Doggie grabbed his right shoulder. "Stand down, Sky," he ordered.

Sky turned his head slightly to the right, Doggie's paw entering his field of vision. At the same time, his left hand slowly reached for the Shadow Morpher, which was clipped to his belt. "Not gonna happen," he said, a hint of sadness in his voice as he knew there was no turning back after this.

A flash of light filled the room when he activated the device and, fractions of a second later, he stood covered in the armor Doggie himself had donned when he had fought the forces of Emperor Gruumm by their side.

Caught off guard by the explosion of light, Doggie was momentarily blinded, losing his grip on Sky. By the time his vision started to return, he was too late to dodge the elbow that slammed into his jaw or the kick to his midsection that dropped him to the ground, unconscious.

Sky powered down and looked to his fallen mentor. He then turned away and headed for the command center's closed doors. When he was close enough, they quietly slid open and he walked through to find B-Squad anxiously waiting for him in the deserted hall.

"So?" Bridge asked hopefully, taking a step forward.

Sky briefly looked down. "Cruger denied our request," he stated as he looked at his friends. He could see the hurt and disappointment in their eyes.

"So now what?" Jack queried, not even trying to hide the anger in his voice, as doing the right thing had always been more important to him than following the rules.

"We go before he comes to," Sky answered, getting surprised looks from his teammates and a smile and a nod of approval from Jack. He nodded back and walked past them. As one, they all turned and followed him, flanking his sides, and they headed for the transport bay.

* * *

_Reefside - 2009_

"That's Samantha on her third birthday," Dana said proudly as Carter showed Jen and Wes the picture that he carried in his wallet at all times. On the picture, Dana was hugging their daughter and both were smiling towards the camera, the girl a spitting image of her mother. Joy and pride radiated from both parents' eyes as they spoke of her.

"She's looks like such a sweetheart," Jen exclaimed, as she took a closer look at the picture, "and she has her father's eyes."

Carter's smile brightened a little more at that even as Jen gave him back the picture. "So, you two finally decide to settle down?" he asked, nodding towards the engagement ring Jen was wearing.

"Well," Wes started to explain, placing his hand on Jen's, "when Jen decided to stay in our time, we traveled. A lot. As a Ranger, she didn't really get to enjoy the time she spent here, so I decided to give her a real taste of the present when we were finally able to retire, after that whole deal on the moon with the Machine Empire and Serpentera."

"Carter still talks about that all the time," Dana admitted with a smile, a hint of forced exasperation in her voice.

"But now," Wes continued, grinning as he looked his fiancée in the eyes, "with my father retiring, I'm going to be in charge of Bio Lab, and we thought it would be the right time to move on to a different adventure."

"You're not?" Dana asked Jen, her eyes narrowing as a smile tugged at the sides of her lips.

"No! No," Jen answered quickly when she realized what Dana was getting at, her own eyes widening, "not that kind of adventure, Dana. Even that's a bit too intense for us," she finished before she broke into laughter, soon joined by the others.

It was at that moment that Zack made his way to the group, his smooth moves making it look like he was gliding over the floor, his limbs moving fluidly and effortlessly to the sounds of the mix CD the Briarwood gang had sent them.

"I'm hearing way too much talking, guys," he chided them, his whole body pulsating with the beat, "but I ain't seein' no dance moves," he finished, offering his hand to Dana, who accepted it gracefully and stood up along with the others.

As they made their way to the dance floor to join Aisha, Kat and Cassie, they walked by the pool table, where, to his great dismay, Eric was getting schooled by his girlfriend.

"Best four out of seven!" he offered, his ego clearly bruised as he had yet to win a single game against Taylor, Cole looking on from a stool a few feet away, amused by the spectacle.

"Like that would make a difference?" Taylor shot back defiantly as she reset the balls on the table and exchanged a look with Cole, who smiled right back at her.

"You know I'm just trying to go easy on you because I know you hate losing, don't you?" Eric tried to excuse himself as switched pool cues.

"Just shut up and break," Taylor said with a smirk as she backed away from the table, confident she wouldn't need more than a couple of minutes to make him eat his words.

"You guys want anything to drink?" Trent asked as he walked up next to Taylor and Cole with an empty tray in his hand even as Eric cursed out loud, all the balls having stayed on the table after his opening shot.

"We're good," Cole answered, raising his half-full glass in the air. He then continued, winking at Taylor conspiratorially, "but could you get Eric something really strong? Maybe it would actually help his game."

"Real funny, jungle boy," Eric said as the three of them chuckled, "but I'll just have another beer."

"You got it," Trent acknowledged as Taylor motioned to him that she was okay. As Trent left the trio, he looked in the stage's direction, noticing that Tanya and Kira were setting up, with the help of Carlos and Justin, to do a few songs.

"So," Hayley asked as he arrived at the counter, "everything under control?"

"Yeah," he answered, placing an empty tray down. "Everyone seems to be having a good time catching up."

"And how are you doing, Trent?" Hayley inquired as she started refilling his tray. "You don't call, you don't write?"

"Well," he replied, blushing slightly, "it's just, you know, I am living my dream right now."

"Of course I do," she said smiling, pointing behind her, where the first issue of a comic for which he was one of the rotating artists along with his idol Carson Brady was hanging in a frame. "After all, I did set that up for you, remember?"

All Trent could do was smile back at her as he picked the tray back up. On his way to serve out the latest round of drinks, he couldn't help but shake his head as he overheard the conversation Conner, TJ and Rocky were indulging in as they sat around a table.

"There's no contest," Conner insisted, "I totally had _the_ biggest freaks to fight against. I mean, Mesogog used this funky machine to combine genetic materials. Plus, I got an evil Ranger as a nemesis."

"Please," Rocky scoffed, "I replaced the original Red Ranger. That alone should tell you how important I was. Plus Lord Zedd pawns the dino-man any day of the week."

"Yeah, well if you were so hot, Rocky," TJ interrupted, "then where were you when we all went to the moon to take down Serpentera?"

"Don't even go there, TJ," Rocky warned, waving a finger in the air, "or should we mention the fate of a pair of Megazords?"

"Whatever," TJ said, rolling his eyes. "We all know I'm the best Red Ranger. Did I tell you guys about the time-"

"If that sentence ends with 'I was baked in a giant pizza'," Conner cautioned, glaring at him.

"What? It's a _great_ moment," TJ contested as the other two shook their heads, exasperated.

"Seriously, Teej?" Cassie interjected as she neared the table, "not our best moment. You might want to leave it out of your 'greatest hits'. Besides, Red's overrated. It's us Pink Rangers who rock."

Before either could respond, Cassie turned away and paused by another table, where Billy was helping Ethan figure out a kink with a new piece of software he was working on.

"So if you just reconfigure the algorithmic sequence in this section of code," Billy explained as he typed away on the keyboard of Ethan's laptop, before running the finalized program, "that should allow your molecular imaging interface to run more smoothly and it should ensure a greater integrity of the final representation."

"Cool," was all Ethan could say as he stared at the screen.

Behind them, Cassie frowned, confused by the seemingly random assortment of tech words, shook her head and resumed her walk to the dance floor, grabbing a soda from the tray Trent held as he made his way towards Tommy and the remainder of his friends.

"This is seriously awesome, you guys, the best birthday present I ever could have asked for." Tommy said as he took the drink Trent offered him and looked into the smiling faces of his closest and oldest friends. He hadn't seen most of them in years, ever since they'd all gone their separate ways.

"We were way overdue to all get together," Kimberly offered sincerely from the spot where she stood opposite him, looking out on the Cyberspace. "How crazy is this?" she asked contemplatively. "This is our legacy. Zordon's legacy, what we started. All these people, with different lives, who fought like us to make the world a better place."

"Zordon would be really proud if he could see this," Trini concurred, saddened for a moment at the thought of their lost mentor.

"He sure would," Adam agreed as he pulled out his cell phone, which had just begun to vibrate in his back pocket. "It's Alpha," he announced with a smile once he'd looked at the screen. "He stayed in Angel Grove to run the dojo while Rocky and I came here." He flipped it open and brought it to his ear.

"Hey Alpha," he said with a grin, "do you want me to pass you Tommy?"

Tommy couldn't hold back a smile as he took a step closer so Adam could hand him the phone, but he didn't. "Alpha, slow down," he said instead, his demeanor and voice turning serious. "What's going on?"

Tommy exchanged looks with Kimberly, who also seemed to have noticed something was off. That was all but confirmed when he returned his attention to Adam and saw that his friend's face had gone pale.

"I'll call you back, Alpha," Adam said before he pulled his phone away from his ear. He flipped it closed and kept it in his hand, his arm dropping to his side. For a moment, his gaze seemed to wander aimlessly as his eyes became misty. Next to Tommy, Trini signaled Zack to kill the music.

The room was soon plunged in complete silence as everyone got closer to where the little group was gathered.

Adam slowly looked up and fixed his gaze on someone who was most likely standing behind Tommy and Trini.

"Adam?" an approaching Kira asked worriedly, as he'd apparently been staring at her, "what's wrong?"

Adam was silent for a moment, struggling to form the words. He then answered, grimly, "Mack Hartford was killed."

__

To be continued...

* * *

So that's it for Chapter 5, and it earns its title, as judging from your reviews, Mack's death indeed came from out of nowhere. Mack! Seriously? Seeing as how he did fight alongside Adam in the PROO crossover, I was a bit surprised that no one brought him up as a potential death, especially considering they appeared together in Chapter 1, post-Once a Ranger. Though, for the surprise ending of this chapter, it was probably for the better. Not to worry as far as Jason goes, he's just running really late for the party. Also, the way the party was written, though I don't know how successful that was, if you were to see it on the screen, it's like one long shot with no breaks as the camera just moves from one group to the next fuidly using character entrances and exits to move around. Did it work? Only you can tell me that.

As for the Sky scene, that was right out of the trailer, fleshed out a bit, though I really enjoyed his last line and the team's exit.

_Apart from the collective eulogy for Jason, one interesting question concerned the whereabouts of certain characters from teams represented at the party. So, Andros, Ashley, Zhane and Karone are currently on KO-35 and they'll be picking up the Lost Galaxy Rangers anytime now. Carter, Wes, Eric and Cole are there because of the strong bond they have with Tommy, having fought with him in Forever Red. Dana, Jen and Taylor are there as significant others. The others aren't as connected to Tommy and I didn't want to just throw everyone in there without a good reason._

_Letters column! There's a lot for chapter 4! Thanks to everyone who wrote in! The following responses are very short, but I try to message everyone who writes in with something more personalized and elaborate. So don't hesitate to review or private message me._

_Ms. Fairweather: Jason's safe. The timeline places Ninjor's 'episode', the 'attack' on Tommy and the murder of Mack simultaneously._

_Pinkranger888: Once again, Jason's safe. I hope you liked the rest of the party, until the phone call at least._

_Yellow At Heart: Another apparent vote for Jason. *pats self on the shoulder*. You got your Cruger/Sky trailer scene. As to who Kira's coupled with, don't know yet._

_JOUNOUCHI sama: PR: End of Days, much like PR: Countdown will contain no original characters, at least not in the sense of characters completely unrelated to others from the show. I did like your bio a lot, though._

_Whispering Ranger: Ninjor had a bloody annoying voice, that's why he only got a scream. (kidding). Yes! Tricked by the attack on Tommy!_

_ImaSupernaturalCSI: Hopefully the trip down memory lane continues. You'll definitely get your Maddick moments. And, note to all, there are no plans to stop this or Power Rangers: Countdown midway. The beginnings, some parts in the middles, and the endings are more or less mapped out._

_PernDragonrider: Always glad to help move those dull days along._

_rose lily potter: Kim & Tommy. Much as I love those two together, the outlook for that is extremely bleak._

_ae1102: Jase!_

_Grass King: Evil? You haven't seen evil. I'm about to sign up for one of those nifty new identities that will allow me to vanish._

_crazedchick: Another one for Jason. He's starting to feel no one has any faith in him. A shame really. Couples will pop up depending on the story's needs. So far, we've seen Tommy/Kat, Carter/Dana, Wes/Jen & Eric/Taylor, but there should be a few more that appear. The relationships are definitely important in creating the impact of what's to come._

_LastWhiteRose: Jason again. Little scene on the side, Uncle Ryan and Grandpa Mitchell are watching little Samantha Grayson, giving in to her every whim. It's probably a very funny oneshot to imagine._

_Red shadow Ranger: Are your favorites still safe or are you one of the first to put a hit order out on me?_

_Shotokan Master: Jason! Score! Not entirely sure about R.P.M. To be seen once we get an official glimpse of the team/premise._

_BadWolf95: Snipers, huh? I just do what the story tells me to._

_Titanium Gold: I don't totally dislike Theo/Lily. It's cool that a non-Red Ranger gets the girl for once._

_Original-Red-And-Pink-4ever: Dom&Fran, huh? That's genius, but not for the reasons you might expect._

_More to come soon. As always, thanks for reading!_


	6. The Darkest Day

_**Chapter 6  
**_

_**The Darkest Day**_

___(Original Posting Date: January 8th, 2009)_

_

* * *

_

_Reefside_

The news of Mack Hartford's death had affected everyone greatly, though Kira and Adam, who had actually fought alongside the former leader of the Overdrive Rangers had seemed to be most affected by the news.

When Adam had called the Hartford estate and spoken with Spencer, he'd gotten very little additional information. Mack's body had been found in an alley in the previous hours and his teammates had made their way there to try and ascertain whether his murder was linked to his past as a Ranger or not. The police officers who had delivered the news had mentioned that Mack had been stabbed, though no further details had been provided.

He had then asked to talk with Andrew Hartford to offer his condolences, but Mack's father had been too shaken to speak to anyone.

Once Adam's conversation with Spencer had ended, it had quickly been decided that, as a show of respect and solidarity for Mack and his team, they should all be present for the fallen Ranger's funeral. Cell phones and communication devices had been pulled out and calls had been made to inform former teammates of the tragic events of the evening and to make appropriate plans.

By the time Jason had finally arrived at the Cyberspace, people had started to leave in small groups, no one wanting to be alone as they headed home to gather their things if home was close enough or back to their hotels if they'd made arrangements before coming down to Reefside.

It had been just before dawn when the first of many cars had arrived on a deserted stretch of beach, its occupants relatively quiet. They had grouped up in small clusters on the sandy shores, their nerves on edge, acutely aware of every movement and sound around them, despite the fact that none of them had been able to get any shuteye.

Shortly after, they had heard the sounds of another vehicle arriving and they recognized the Rescue Rover's driver as Dana's brother and former Titanium Ranger, Ryan Mitchell, who had been watching his niece with his father, Bill Mitchell, when the call had come in. He had arrived with Chad Lee and Kelsey Winslow, the Blue and Yellow Lightspeed Rangers and had confirmed that Joel Rawlings, the Green Lightspeed Ranger, would be joining them in San Angeles.

For a while, they had continued to talk softly amongst themselves, staying mostly grouped with former teammates, catching up on where their lives had taken them in the hopes of dodging the topic none of them wanted to address.

Soon thereafter and without notice, the wind had picked up and the ocean had become agitated. Grains of sand had started to fly, stinging lightly when striking exposed skin.

"What's that?" Justin had asked, pointing to the sky. Their eyes had all fixed the same area as a vortex had slowly opened, energy swirling and crackling wildly within.

For a moment, none of them had been capable of answering the simple question. They had all worried that the unnatural occurrence would be an attack against them that would effectively wipe them all out. The tension had remained high as a large ship had begun to emerge from the hole, though for a few of them, the sight was a relief.

"It's a time ship!" Jen had cried out to be heard over the sounds of the wind and the waves. Upon seeing the familiar transport, which heralded the arrival of their former teammates, Wes had gently squeezed her hand.

* * *

_Rootcore_

"Are you ready yet, Udonna?" Daggeron, the Solaris Knight, asked as he and Leanbow, the Wolf Warrior, approached the White Mystic Ranger, who was busy leafing through the Xenotome, an ancient volume that held a multitude of mystical secrets and spells.

"Almost," she replied, focusing her attention on a particular page for a moment before she flipped to another to double-check the information she had gathered.

"I got the yarrow root, Udonna," Charlie 'Chip' Thorne, the Yellow Mystic Ranger announced as he arrived in the Mystic Rangers' base of operations.

"Throw it here," Vida Rocca, the Pink Mystic Ranger, called out to him, raising her hand in the air. When she caught the root, she dropped it into a cauldron, the contents of which were being stirred by her sister, Madison, the Blue Mystic Ranger.

"I think we're set," Madison called out, satisfied that their spell was ready to be cast by the sight of a thick mist flowing out of the cauldron.

Xander sat in silence at a distance from his friends, still coming to terms with the news he'd received from San Angeles. It was unsettling for all of them to see him this way, his smile and sharp wit being his trademarks.

"We'll find out who did this, Xander," Nick Russel, the Red Mystic Ranger and son of Udonna and Leanbow, vowed, nearing him and placing a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "I promise."

"Thanks mate," was all Xander could answer as he looked up at his friend, forcing a smile though his features remained sorrowful.

"Okay, we're ready," Clare, Udonna's former apprentice, announced out loud as she took Madison's place behind the cauldron and set the Xenotome down on a stand next to it.

Everyone gathered together across from her with the few things they'd need for the trip to San Angeles. As Clare started to intone the mystical incantation Udonna had located in the ancient book, an orb of blue energy started to form in her left hand, which she held outstretched just above the misty cauldron. It gradually expanded until it was roughly the size of the cauldron.

Just before she spoke the final words of the transportation spell, Clare gave her friends a smile. Instants later, they were all absorbed into the orb, and she found herself all alone.

_

* * *

Ocean Bluff_

"Seriously though, Theo," Lily Chilman, the Yellow Cheetah Ranger asked Theo Martin, the Blue Jaguar Ranger and her boyfriend of six months, as she giggled, "Master Jag?"

The young couple was slowly strolling down the main street after having spent the night together on the beach, gazing at the stars, contemplating their past and their future and just living for the moment. The sun had just started to rise a short while ago when they'd decided to pack up and slowly head back to Jungle Karma Pizza, their place of employment and home.

"Well, it's not like I have that many options," Theo tried to argue, while he started to fish around in his pocket for his keys. "And besides, what are your choices? Master Cheeto?"

"Theo!" Lily protested, punching his arm playfully as they finally reached the restaurant. "What kind of a Master name is Master Cheeto?"

"I think it's a cute name," Theo admitted with an earnest smile, unlocking the door. He then held it open for Lily and followed her inside.

"My students are not calling me that," she whispered to him, returning his smile, as they made their way through the dining room area and into the kitchen. When they finally reached the loft area, they were surprised to find Robert 'RJ' James, the Wolf Ranger and their former mentor, sitting in his chair, his head down in his hands.

"RJ?" Lily asked tentatively as they made their way down the steps to the living area, brusquely pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Lily. Theo. Hey," RJ answered without his usual infectious enthusiasm, his gaze wandering, unfocused.

"RJ, what's wrong?" Theo questioned him, putting down the picnic basket he still held in his hand.

"You remember Andrew Hartford, right?" RJ answered, looking down to the floor.

"Yeah," Lily responded, nodding. "He's the one that helped you design our solar morphers."

"And he was the mentor of the Overdrive Rangers," Theo added.

"Right," RJ confirmed, his gaze finally meeting his former students'. "His son, Mack, the Red Overdrive Ranger, was killed last night."

"Oh God," Lily whispered, as she fell slightly back into Theo. While their team had never actually met the Overdrive Rangers, they had gotten familiar with them because of their very public identities. "I'm so sorry, RJ."

"Is there anything we can do?" Theo asked as he took his girlfriend's shaking hand in his, holding it tight.

"Well, I was hoping we could all go to San Angeles, to pay our respects," RJ told them, not surprised when they both nodded their approval to him. "I took the liberty of packing some things for the both of you. Casey, Dominic and Fran are putting it all in the van right now. Jarrod and Camille are also coming with us, though they needed a moment to talk before we left."

"You guys get to the van, I'll go let Jarrod and Camille know that Theo and I are back and that we're ready to go," Lily offered helpfully, letting go of Theo's hand.

"Thank you, Lily," RJ said, standing up. "I think they might be in my room."

Lily nodded once before walking off. She couldn't shake the image of Mack Hartford as she'd seen him on television and she couldn't accept the fact that he was dead.

As she reached the dorm area, she recognized the voices of Jarrod and Camille coming from RJ's bedroom. Just as she was about to knock on the closed door, she caught herself, something in their escalating tones stopping her. Wanting to respect their privacy, she turned around and headed for the back exit to find the others, with the intention of coming back for another try in a few minutes.

Meanwhile, in RJ's room, Jarrod and Camille's struggled to keep their voices down despite the rising tension between them.

"How do you think I survived the first Beast War?" Dai Shi's former second-in-command asked rhetorically. "Why do you think that I was the only one who escaped with my life? I knew, somehow, deep inside, that the forces of darkness were not meant to win the war. And that was the exact same thing I felt at the end of the last Beast War, when I decided to join the Rangers."

"This is nonsense, Camille," Dai Shi's former vessel argued as he reached for the doorknob.

"Fine. But mark my words, my love," Camille stated, regret in her voice. "Their final war is at hand. The Rangers and those who will stand by their side will all die."

_To be continued...

* * *

_

_In my original version of the Jungle Fury scene, which was a quick narration, I started pondering RJ's name, wondering if Finn was a part of it. I thought probably not since it's really linked to Master Finn's animal spirit, which is different from RJ's and that led me into thinking of the JF Rangers' Master names. I thought Master Jag was kinda badass, and though it's silly, Master Cheeto just made me laugh. I then incorporated those random thoughts in a more elaborate JF scene. Any thoughts on a good name for Casey?_

_Small announcement, coming soon to will be a very cool PR cross-over fic that I am betaing for. Keep your eyes open for the Hands of Oblivion..._

_Letters column... Keep the reviews coming in, I'm really enjoying the feedback._

_I guess, I can go general this time around, since most of the feedback was along the lines of "OMG, Mack! WTF?" I'm sorry it had to be Mack, but I'm glad the feint worked out because it seems to have made for a good twist._

_More specifically, Jaina87 suggested a Kira/Adam pairing. I kinda like the idea (Kira and JYB both being musicians), but I already had a visual in mind of Kira and a former DT teammate._

_Shotokan Master: Beer at the Cyberspace... They brought it. The ones present were all of legal drinking age, so, no big. Sky's badass moment was definitely a high point for me too, especially when he made his intentions clear to B-Squad and they all walked off. As to a detailed Mack death scene, not in the next few chapters. I don't want to reveal who the Rangers are up against just yet, though there might be hints already._

_And for CaseyxLily, a Casey/Lily pairing isn't in the plans. It's only been a few months since JF ended and I figured Theo & Lily deserved a shot._

_To everyone who wrote, thank you so much: Ms. Fairweather, Whispering Ranger, crazedchick, Original-Red-And-Pink-4ever, Red Shadow Ranger, Jaina87, Puggles Master, BadWolf95, Yellow At Heart, saiyukifan526, prophet144, LastWhiteRose, Shotokan Master & CaseyxLily. And thanks also to everyone reading, there's plenty more coming up!_


	7. Homecoming

_**Chapter 7  
**_

_**Homecoming**_

___(Original Posting Date: January 22nd, 2009)_

* * *

_Space _

The Galaxy Rangers hadn't had long to wait once they'd contacted Andros. The Red Space Ranger, who had offered them his assistance when the Psycho Rangers had appeared on Terra Venture, hadn't hesitated in accepting their request. It had only been a matter of hours before a bigger and quicker version of the Mega Ship they'd once had use of arrived on Terra Venture.

Traveling with Andros were his wife, Ashley Hammond, the Yellow Space Ranger, his best childhood friend from his home planet KO-35, Zhane, the Silver Space Ranger, and his sister, Zhane's fiancée and Kendrix's onetime replacement as the Pink Galaxy Ranger, Karone.

Their reunion, despite the unease brought forth by Maya's strange dream, had been a joyous one that lasted well into the beginning of their trip to Earth. It had come to an end, however, when TJ had reached them to give them the grim news regarding Mack. Even given their lack of familiarity with the Overdrive team because of their time away from Earth, they had all fallen silent, as if one of their own had been taken from them.

Things had quieted down after that. Most of the Rangers had opted to remain on the bridge, perhaps seeking comfort in numbers. Maya, however, had excused herself, physically exhausted from the previous sleepless night and hopeful that she might be able to tap into whatever she had experienced to find out if this was the reason they had been sent back to Earth.

Kendrix had accompanied her to the quarters they were sharing for the trip, and once Maya had settled down, she'd left her alone. Having picked up a steaming mug of hot chocolate from the Synthetron in the dining area, Kendrix had then taken a seat at the end of the large table in the middle of the room.

She sat in silence for a while, her fingers absently tracing the cup's rim, her mind void of any thoughts. When she finally came out of her trance, her drink was far from smoldering and she gently slid the mug at arms' length.

"Care for some company?" she heard someone ask behind her. Turning around, she saw Karone come towards the table, smiling kindly as she pulled a chair out and sat down next to her.

"Hey," was all Kendrix could say as she returned the smile halfheartedly.

"How are you holding up?" Karone continued, tilting her head slightly to the side.

"As well as everyone else, I guess," Kendrix replied.

"You don't have to lie to me about it, Kendrix," Karone said, shaking her head. "This isn't affecting us the same way it's affecting the others. It can't."

"What are you talking about?" Kendrix countered, unsure as to what her friend was referring to.

"They're lacking a certain perspective, is all," Karone explained. "After all, it's not like any of them actually died."

The accuracy of the words was undeniable and Kendrix's gaze dropped to the smooth black surface of the table. "But you never…"

"My death wasn't like yours," Karone clarified. "It wasn't physical. Back when I was Astronema, and soon after I discovered that Andros was my brother, I turned my back on Dark Specter and his evil ways. He didn't accept my defection and when he managed to have me back within his grasp, he made sure I wouldn't turn again."

"They reprogrammed me," she continued after a brief pause, fighting the tears that threatened to flow out anytime she remembered the events of that day. "Circuitry and behavior modification chips, all hooked up to my brain. I was terrified, and there was no one who could have saved me. And then came the worst part of it all, when they 'reactivated' Astronema. I was like a passenger in my own body, silenced and helpless. My life had been taken from me, and all I could do was watch as my brother kept fighting to try and save me and the world from myself."

"I had no idea, Karone," Kendrix said softly as she took her hand and squeezed it gently. "I just keep thinking about that day, on Rashon. Somehow, I knew that destroying the Savage Sword would most likely destroy me. Part of me didn't want to, there was so much in life that I'd yet to experience. But I had to do it. The pain only lasted moments, but it was unbearable, like every cell in my body was on fire. Still, that hurt nowhere as much as seeing the looks in their eyes when they realized I was gone."

It was now Karone's turn to give Kendrix's hand a squeeze. When the other girl eventually made eye contact with her, it wasn't for long as her attention was soon drawn to Maya, walking in their direction, her hand lingering on her stomach.

"Maya?" Kendrix called out tentatively, causing Karone to turn in the other girl's direction. "Did you have the dream again?"

"Yeah," Maya replied, nodding slowly as she sat on the chair Karone had just offered her. "It was a bit different, though."

"Different how?" Karone asked, hoisting herself up on the table.

"The part where I initially first saw the Magna Blaster sticking out of the sand, surrounded by our Quasar Sabers. This time, I only saw one weapon, it was like a lance and most of it was painted red. And there was this symbol, it looked like one of those things you use on Earth when you're lost, a compass. One of the needles was red and the other was black."

"Mack's weapon?" Karone suggested.

"I guess," Maya tentatively agreed, her gaze lost in the distance. "Then, at the end, when Rykon appeared, she backhanded me again. I crashed in the sand, on my back, but I wasn't knocked out. The thunder was loud, lightning was flashing and rain was coming down hard. She grabbed that lance and twirled it around a few times before bringing it down, driving it through my stomach. And then I woke up."

"We'll get to the bottom of this Maya," Kendrix promised her best friend, noticing she was clutching her stomach. "It's all going to be okay." She then looked over to Karone, who seemed to be lost in her own thoughts.

_

* * *

Blue Bay Harbor_

"Seriously though, dude," Waldo 'Dustin' Brooks, the Yellow Wind Ranger, declared, a hint of anxiety in his voice, as he almost fell over, "I'm really not comfortable with him driving this thing."

"Would you just relax, Dustin?" Cameron 'Cam' Watanabe, the Green Samurai Ranger, pleaded as he kept his focus on the screen before him and entered a series of commands on the keyboard. "Cyber Cam's had plenty of experience at the wheel of the mobile command center."

"I gotta side with Dustin on this one, bro," Shane Clarke, the Red Wind Ranger, admitted. "I mean, what if there's a technical glitch in the system or a virus or something and our driver just freezes up or vanishes."

"Then a failsafe activates in my system and Cyber Shane materializes in his place and keeps on driving," Cam affirmed matter-of-factly.

"Seriously?" Shane asked, his eyebrows raised. "There's a Cyber Me?"

Cam stopped typing then and spun around in his swivel chair to face his two friends, a slightly annoyed look on his face answering Shane's question.

"Guys!" Hunter Bradley, the Crimson Thunder Ranger, called out from the other end of the command center in a hushed tone, getting their attention. He was sitting on a couch, cradling a whimpering Tori in his arm, his fingers stroking the back of her neck. Of them all, Tori had taken the news the hardest, especially since Mack and some of the other Overdrive Rangers had taken her up on her invitation to visit her at the surf shop she ran a few times.

Shane mouthed a silent apology to Hunter and kept his gaze on Tori for a few moments before he turned back to Cam and Dustin, his expression serious.

"Okay Cam," he said, his voice low. "What have you found?"

"Police report," Cam answered, turning back to face the monitor as he brought up a digitized version of the document on screen. "And apparently, there are crime scene pictures in there," he commented, clicking on an icon.

"Damn," Shane said as a series of images appeared in front of them. Next to him, Dustin had turned around and was rubbing at his eyes as he inhaled and exhaled deeply. Cam scanned the pictures once before he magnified a shot of Mack's upper torso.

It wasn't a pleasant sight for any of them and they all fought hard to keep their composure. It didn't matter that they hadn't personally known Mack Hartford, he'd been a part of the same legacy as them.

"Well, we know he was stabbed," Cam whispered, just loud enough for Shane and Dustin to hear him. "From the looks of it, it's a blade or a knife. So, a human death."

"Wait, Cam, magnify that one," Dustin said, pointing to one of the thumbnails that appeared on the bottom of the screen.

"Just a sec," Cam answered, selecting the picture. "What is that?"

"It's some sort of mystical symbol, I think," Dustin mused, looking at the magnified image of Mack's lower torso and the symbol that was carved into his flesh.

"How would you know that?" Cam asked, surprised by Dustin's apparent knowledge of something he himself wasn't familiar with.

"Well," Dustin explained, "there was this rerun of _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ last week, where her friend found this frat guy in a bed with a symbol carved in his chest. It was part of some kind of ritual sacrifice to bring about the apocalypse."

"So, might not be a simple human death after all," Shane said somberly, his thoughts echoing those of his friends.

* * *

_Reefside_

"We didn't find anything new," the Xybrian and Green Time Force Ranger known only as Trip said, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, guys." He stood with the Blue and Yellow Time Force Rangers, Lucas Kendall and Katie Walker as they updated Wes, Jen and Eric on their findings.

"You guys are from the future," Wes replied, confused. "How could you not find out anything about Mack's death?"

"Time Force records are extensive and they'd normally include information like this, so it must be classified for some reason," Jen concluded. "Maybe if we asked Alex, he could use his clearance to find out."

"Already did," Katie stated, her tone indicating that their attempt hadn't been successful. "He wasn't able to find out anything either."

"He even asked Captain Logan," Lucas added, shaking his head, "but no luck with him either. Whatever happened to Mack, either it was inadvertently erased, or it got buried."

"Well then," Eric said, determined, "we'll just have to figure this one out the good old-fashioned way. Crime scene, forensics, the works."

"You know we'll help in any way we can," Katie offered. "But we can only stay in your time for a few days before we need to return to the future."

"Why?" Jen asked her longtime friend, her eyes narrowing. "Is there something happening?"

"It's just that Alex granted us a three day leave to come for Mack's funeral," Trip answered.

"He actually wanted us to check and see if you'd consider returning with us, even if it's just for a short visit," Lucas finished, an earnest look on his face. "With Wes, of course."

Jen stayed silent a moment, taking in their subtle pleading looks. There was no doubt that she and Wes had missed their former teammates. Also, she'd always wanted to show Wes what she'd once considered as her present. Still, their request went beyond the friendships they shared, she could sense it. She started to think of the reasons they'd want her to return home, or rather why they'd attempt to take her away from the present. When the reason finally dawned on her, her eyes momentarily widened in realization as she and her time-displaced friends exchanged knowing looks, which weren't lost on Wes.

"Jen, what is it?" he asked her, pulling her a bit closer even as Eric shot her a questioning look.

She could only be relieved when she was interrupted by a sound in the distance gradually getting louder. Conversations around them died down rapidly as all eyes turned to the horizon. Approaching was their ticket to San Angeles. The Astro Megaship was arriving.

_To be continued...

* * *

_

_Alright, so this time around, we're gonna go with an abridged letters column, because it's past 1:00 AM here and I have to be up around 6:30 AM to go_ _to work. I just really wanted to post an update tonight for y'all..._

_Camille! She's really a character I grew to love on Jungle Fury. Her and Jarrod were by far some of the most compelling villains we've had in quite some time, IMO, so there will be more of her. I mean, after that cliffhanger in chapter 6, I can't just drop her, right?_

_Casey's master name... Thanks for all the suggestions. Some I really liked a lot. However, Casey will get another name, which will be revealed during one of the quieter moments in the story._

_As to our villain(s), you'll just have to wait and see. Right now, I'm thinking Chapter 11 might end with that reveal..._

_Thanks to everyone reading, as always. A very special thank you to those who've written in. It's always a joy for me to get feedback, even if it's to mention I picked the wrong couple (and I'm sure to hear from Tori fans after this chapter). And if anyone ever has questions related to continuity or references, don't be shy to ask. I try and answer all reviews within 48 hours. _

_The next Chapter will be up in a few weeks, though before I work on it, I seriously owe an update to readers of my other fic, PR:Countdown._

_Until next time, _

_Power down!_


	8. Legacy of Power

_**Chapter 8  
**_

_**Legacy of Power  
**_

___(Original Posting Date: March 9th, 2009)_

* * *

_San Angeles_

They had all arrived gradually at the Hartford estate over the course of that day. For many, the reunions, though long overdue, had been bittersweet. It was a rare thing to be able to reconnect with former teammates and friends, and though the opportunity was more than welcome, they had all wished the circumstances could have been different.

The next day was a perfect prelude to summer. The sun shone brightly in the clear blue sky, the warm weather was offset by a cool refreshing breeze and the soothing silence was occasionally interrupted by the soft chirping of birds flying overhead.

Kimberly sat on a black folding chair in the shade of a tall tree, holding her guitar close. Kira sat on the chair next to her, also holding on to her instrument while Tanya stood behind them.

Looking to the side, Kimberly caught sight of the elegant yet simple headstone that stood in the ground a few feet from them. She immediately tore her eyes away, feeling them watering up. Even though she'd never had the chance to meet Mack, the bond they all shared as Rangers still made this difficult.

She looked the other way, towards the mansion, where all the others were standing, side by side, creating what seemed to be a long corridor that started at the house's front doors and stretched out all the way to Mack's final resting place. They were all quietly waiting, just like her, all dressed in black, standing close to fellow members of their respective teams. Her own friends were closest to the grave and the last team of Rangers, the SPD team, who came from the future, were at the other end, by the large double doors. The women all held a rose in their hand, the color of which matched the color they had worn as Rangers. The men all wore a single rose boutonniere which also bore their colors.

Her eyes then settled on the grave that had been dug up. A cold shiver ran up her spine and she bit at her lip. When she looked up, she saw that Rocky was staring at her, understanding in his eyes as he smiled in her direction.

Kimberly held his gaze for a few moments, thankful that this was something she didn't have to go through alone. She then looked back to the grave and sighed.

* * *

Tori stood in the human corridor that led from the mansion to the grave, between Hunter and Blake Bradley, the Navy Thunder Ranger. Although they were all silent, she took comfort from her boyfriend's proximity.

She had been at the Surf Shop when Spencer had called her. Hunter had dropped by shortly before closing time to help her out. They'd been supposed to go catch a late showing at the movies.

Everything that had happened after she'd been told about Mack's death was a blur. She could only remember Hunter taking her phone from her to speak with Spencer even as she leaned against a counter, struggling to catch her breath, tears flowing freely, then the warmth and comfort of his strong arms as he held her and told her everything was going to be okay.

She and Mack had gotten particularly close ever since the Overdrive Rangers had defeated Flurious. Unlike his teammates, Mack had had nothing to go back to when their mission had ended and so he'd jumped at every opportunity to try out new experiences in between expeditions with his father. Among other things, he'd eagerly taken up surfing under Tori's tutelage.

Tori smiled sadly when she remembered the expression on Mack's face the first time he rode out a wave without wiping out. It had been a mixture of complete joy and a desire to give it another try right away. Unfortunately for him, that brief moment of glory had been followed by his biggest wipeout yet.

Pulling herself out of that memory, she looked in front of her, where Shane, Dustin and Cam stood silently. Their concern for her was evident on their faces, and despite her current state, she managed to give them a tiny smile, which they all returned, now hopeful that their best friend would make it through this.

* * *

Z, along with the rest of the SPD Rangers, felt like she'd failed Mack Hartford. Despite their best efforts, they'd been unable to save him.

Using the information Sky had gathered during his confrontation with Doggie, B-Squad had initially set out to arrive sufficiently in advance of the discovery of Mack's body to keep his death from occurring. Even though that had meant the future would be altered, they'd considered that saving this particular life justified defying the rules of time travel.

When they had arrived in the present, they had immediately made their way to the alley where Mack's body had been discovered. To their relief, there had been no body nor any sign of a struggle at the time.

And so they had set up on the roofs of neighboring buildings, keeping the alley in their sights at all times, confident that they'd be able to change what was about to happen.

Destiny, however, had not intended to be cheated so easily. Mack had never made it into the alley of his own volition. He'd simply appeared there. Or rather, his body had. One second, the alley had been empty, and the next, the lifeless body of the former Ranger had been there.

The SPD Rangers had immediately rushed down, hoping that they would be able to revive him somehow, but their efforts had been futile. In the following hours, they, along with the San Angeles Police Department and the rest of the Overdrive Rangers, had gone over the crime scene countless times in order to determine what had happened, but without success.

Z forced herself to stop thinking about the events of the last couple of days and found that she was playing with the necklace she always wore. It was the only link she had to the parents she'd lost, a keepsake returned to her by Doggie after her arrival at SPD.

She looked down the corridor of people, and it seemed like for the first time, she was seeing the faces of all the men and women whose legacies they'd followed in. There was something about that which was truly amazing. As her gaze turned to look down the line of Rangers, her heart seemed to stop in her chest for a moment when she recognized one of them from the files she'd looked over, time and again, in the future.

"It can't be," she whispered to herself, frowning.

* * *

Kimberly was pulled out of her thoughts when Tanya gave her shoulder a light squeeze. Looking up, she saw that they were ready to begin, as the heavy front doors of the Hartford mansion opened slowly. She propped up her guitar and took a deep breath. She then started to strum the strings and, as the first figures stepped out, she started to sing.

_The earth shall soon dissolve like snow_

_The sun forbear to shine_

_But God, who called me here below_

_Will be for ever mine_

First out the doors were Andrew Hartford and Spencer. Hartford walked slowly, clutching a worn book to his chest while Spencer walked by him, his hand placed comfortingly on his employer's back.

_Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail_

_And mortal life shall cease_

_I shall possess, within the veil_

_A life of joy and peace_

Behind them were Ronny and Rose. Both of them wore simple, yet elegant, black dresses. Rose held a single pink rose in her right hand. Her right arm was wrapped around her best friend. Ronnie sobbed softly as she fidgeted with the engagement ring she wore on her left hand, which tightly clutched a rose that was yellow with a red tip.

_Amazing grace, how sweet the sound_

_That saved a wretch like me_

_I once was lost, but now am found_

_Was blind, but now I see_

Will and Dax followed, the first holding Mack's Overdrive Tracker in his hand. Tyzonn was behind them, carrying Mack's Drive Lance. The three Rangers' expressions were solemn as they advanced silently.

When Kimberly finished the third verse, Kira started strumming her own guitar. She and Tanya then joined in on the vocals with Kimberly, going back to the first verse, their voices weaving together seamlessly and beautifully.

Last to walk out after the procession of family and teammates were Jason, Tommy, Wes, Cole, Bridge and Casey, who carried the casket. In a gesture of respect for the fallen leader, it had been decided that it was only fitting that others who had carried that mantle, would act as pallbearers.

* * *

"On behalf of Andrew Hartford, Spencer and the Overdrive Rangers, I'd like to thank you all for being here today," Adam began solemnly from his place next to the headstone. Following the procession, everyone had gathered around the casket and it had been left to Adam to give the eulogy.

"Mack Hartford was an exceptional young man. A loving son and fiancé, a brave and courageous leader, a loyal friend, a brother in arms to all of us here who've carried the responsibility of the Power."

"What few of you know, however, is that this was never the life that Andrew Hartford had intended for Mack. Though he wanted to shield him from the dangers that come with life as a Ranger, it was Mack who insisted on being a part of this team, tasked with protecting the world from the powers of the Crown of the Gods."

"Most of us were chosen to become Rangers, but not Mack. He chose this life, because he wanted to make a difference in this world. And even though genetic enhancements gave him incredible strength, it's his inner strength that should serve as an example to us all."

"This inner strength is what fueled him for the duration of his mission, along with the responsibility he felt for his teammates. But it also kept him going through the trying times that he personally had to face."

"Mack was faced with the discovery that his entire existence had been a lie, that he was an android. Not of humanity, yet he fought for us all nonetheless. In a final battle against Flurious, who had managed to tap into the powers of the Corona Aurora, he ultimately sacrificed himself for humanity's survival."

"He was then bestowed life, thanks to the incredible powers of the Corona. He became flesh and blood and was given a new start. In a sense, Mack was the most innocent and the purest of us all, washed of all the pain and the darkness that comes with our lives as Rangers thanks to this new beginning."

"In all our names, Mack, thank you. It was an honor to know you and fight by your side."

Adam then took a step back, indicating that he was finished. Kimberly and Kira started to play softly as those gathered prepared to pay their final respects.

Andrew Hartford was the first to walk to the casket along with Ronnie. They stood by it, motionless and silent, for a few moments before Andrew set down the book he'd been holding onto on the metal surface. _The Baron's Return_ had been the first book to truly capture Mack's imagination as a child, igniting his dreams of traveling the globe and being involved in dangerous expeditions for legendary artifacts. Next to it, Ronnie set down the rose she had been holding, all the while dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief that Spencer had given her during the service.

After them, Spencer and Rose had stepped forward, placing their own roses on the casket. Will, Dax and Tyzonn had followed, setting down Mack's Overdrive Tracker and the Drive Lance by the book and the flowers.

Adam, Bridge, Xander, Kira and Tori had then advanced, taking a moment to silently bid their friend goodbye. Once they were finished, the others followed suit, one team at a time, starting with the SPD Rangers and ending with the team that had started it all.

* * *

_Angel Grove_

It was a bright and sunny day in Angel Grove as Cassidy Cornell and Devin Young got out of the Reefside News van, not too far from city hall.

"Do you need any help, Devin?" Cassidy asked, slamming the passenger door before she checked on her hair and makeup one last time in the van's side mirror.

"No, I'm good, Cass," he answered, making his way to the back of the van to retrieve his equipment.

"Okay," she replied with a smile as she met him in the back. "So, how do I look?" she asked him, flashing him a smile.

"Still dazzling, babe," Devin told her, grinning as he pulled her in for a kiss.

"Devin!" Cassidy protested half-heartedly, giggling and pushing him away playfully. "We're here for a job, remember?"

"Right," he said, pulling out his camera and handing her a microphone. Though his tone had been serious, his wide smile almost made her sigh in exasperation. "How about we set up there?" he suggested, pointing to a nearby spot. "I could probably get in a few good shots of the stage, and I think the light would be just right to bring out all your best features."

"Okay," Cassidy answered with a nod. She then headed towards the area Devin had indicated. "How's this?" she asked, turning towards him.

"Looking positively beautiful," he said out loud, grinning, making her blush slightly. Devin then turned on the camera and quickly adjusted its settings. "Alright, Cassidy," he then called out to her, "filming in three, two, one."

"I'm currently in Angel Grove where preparations are underway for the tenth anniversary celebration of the Power Rangers' victory against Dark Specter's forces, which will be held this Sunday."

Cassidy paused for an instant so that Devin could zoom in onto the wide stage behind her, the backdrop of which was covered in images of the various teams of Rangers that had defended the Earth over the years. Soon, the camera's focus rested on her once again.

"In the wake of the recent news of the death of Mackenzie Hartford, the publically known leader of the Operation Overdrive Rangers, the Mayor of Angel Grove has announced that a special memorial will be held in his honor. Reefside News sources have confirmed that a number of Rangers will be in attendance. Reporting from Angel Grove, California, this is Cassidy Cornell."

_To be continued...

* * *

_

_I don't really have much to say on this chapter except that it was really challenging writing the funeral. It's a new thing, but so far End of Days has been a lot of new things for me and it's been quite an enjoyable experience. The exposition phase is nearing its end and the actual End of Days is approaching..._

_Bit of trivia, the version of Amazing Grace I had in mind writing this is the one sung by the lovely Majandra Delfino (as Maria Deluca) in the second season of Roswell at Alex's funeral. You can find that on youtube..._

_Also, since it was brought up in a review, I feel I should address it. I have absolutely nothing against slash, but I'm not totally comfortable writing it, and I'm fonder of the more traditional PR pairings. So, unless I get a bunch of message requests to have a pairing I can actually wrap my head around, it probably won't be appearing here._

_Thanks as always to everyone reading and writing in. You're the best fans I could ask for!_

_Mailbox, we'll do this one quick..._

_Whispering Ranger: Mack's death is classified because it adds more mystery to the story. Seriously, there just isn't much information that made it to the future regarding his death and regarding this specific period in time._

_Original-Red-And-Pink-4ever: Indeed, Tori and Hunter are a pair, as you saw in this chapter._

_Red shadow Ranger: I could kill Blake next, but that won't help Shane..._

_ImaSupernaturalCSI: I'm really trying to stay true to canon on this one. And speaking of canon, End of Days will fit in with my more expansive retelling of Countdown to Destruction, also available on this site. Readers of Countdown can expect some reveals from that story to be mirrored here._

_Shotokan Master: The meaning of Maya's dream will become clear soon enough, once we find out who killed Mack._

_Puggles Master: I loved the fact that Dustin figured it out as well. I would have loved to see the look on Cam's face right then. The villains will stand revealed eventually, but there're still things to do with the mystery._

_Pinkranger888: Hunter & Tori, glad you approve._

_guardianranger: Why Mack? There's a totally logical reason why it had to be him. I just haven't revealed all the clues yet._

_Janneason: Whole lot of content here, but for the sake of this reply, I'm just going to say that Kira is indeed with Conner. I wanted a visual of them in this chapter, but I ended up placing her with Kim and Tanya for the music. _

_BadWolf95: There's a reason Camille survived the Great Beast War. She's got pretty good instincts. Are they going to be right in this situation? Let's hope not._

_Grass King: We've got some theories on Maya's dream and the identity of the big bad. Though I can't confirm or deny at this point, anyone else have ideas?_

_Linnea212: Much love to everyone from all the boards I've posted this on (Rangerboard, Rangercast, Power Ranger Empire, Timeforce, Rangertalk and PRU)! Anyone want me to put this on their site/board, just message me._

_LoneWolfVampire13: While villains should know not to mess with the Rangers, mine shouldn't be underestimated..._

_So, thanks to everyone! My actual replies are longer than these short snippets, so if you have any questions or comments, feel free to review. Also, I'd love to hear everyone's theories with regards to Maya's dream and everything going on. It gives me a sense of whether I'm successful in what I'm trying to do._

_That's all for now..._

_Power down!_


	9. A Father's Footsteps

_**Chapter 9  
**_

_**A Father's Footsteps  
**_

___(Original Posting Date: March 29th, 2009)_

* * *

_San Angeles_

By the time Zordon's first group of Rangers had finally had their turn to pay their final respects, Mack's casket had been covered in dozens of roses of all colors, left by all the others in attendance. The original six had placed their own flowers amidst those already there, standing silently for a few moments before turning and walking away, joining the large group made up of their successors and their friends.

Once the casket had been lowered into the ground and covered, Xander had broken away from his teammates. He'd pulled his Mystic Morpher out of his jacket pocket and flipped it open. With a flick of his wrist, a green tendril of energy had burst out of the device's tip towards the freshly covered grave. When it had connected with the ground, grass and flowers had instantly started growing, quickly and evenly covering the bare expanse of earth.

Everyone had seemed to stay frozen in place, looking at the grave, for what had felt like an eternity. Eventually, they had started breaking off into small groups, mainly staying with teammates or other Rangers they'd had the opportunity to fight with over the years.

When Kimberly returned to get her guitar, which she'd left on her chair, most of the others were back in the mansion. As her hand reached down for the instrument, her gaze lingered on the headstone and her eyes started to moisten up.

"Kim?" Rocky asked her softly as he approached from behind, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She didn't answer. She knew it wasn't necessary. Instead, she turned around to face him, letting the tears flow freely from her eyes. He smiled at her, that same smile he'd given her before the ceremony had begun, and she walked into his arms, feeling a small measure of comfort as he just held her close.

"Things were going to be fine, Rocky," she managed to get out, her voice quavering. "He told us we were done, that we'd all be free to live our lives without worry."

"I know," he whispered soothingly into her ear as he held on to her tightly.

* * *

While the vast majority of the former Rangers had made their way directly to the mansion, a small group had instead assembled in the Ninja Storm Rangers' mobile command center.

"I'm sorry, guys," Xander said, shaking his head. "I don't know what that symbol stands for."

"Me neither," Chip admitted, looking at a crime scene picture Cam had printed out. "Even though I continued my training after the Master's defeat, I've never come across this. We could ask Udonna, Leanbow or Daggeron though. They might recognize it."

"It's worth looking into," Bridge conceded, exchanging a glance with Sky before he nodded at Xander and Chip. "Even without the pop culture references, we figured the symbol might tie Mack's death with something ritual or mystical."

"The purest of us all," Dustin whispered to himself, from the spot he was standing in, behind Tori and Cam, who were both at the computer terminal.

"What?" Tori asked, turning to face him, frowning curiously.

"Mack was the most innocent and the purest of us all, that's what you said," Dustin stated as he looked at Adam, recalling his eulogy.

"Yeah," Adam said. "The most innocent, purest of us all, washed of the pain and the darkness that comes with life as a Ranger because of a new beginning. I don't see what's so special about it."

"Wait, I know this," Conner offered with a nod and a knowing grin. He stood behind Kira, his arms wrapped tightly around her. "_Bargaining_".

"Totally, dude," Dustin confirmed with a grin of his own, while most of the others just looked at the two of them questioningly.

"Okay," Sky started, frowning, "so do you want to explain that for the benefit of us who are from the future and couldn't possibly know what you're rambling on about?"

"Hey, from the present and not following this either, Sky," Kira added, having raised her hand in the air.

"Hold that thought," Chip slipped in, a gleam in his eye. "_Buffy the Vampire Slayer_, season six, episode one. Buffy's dead and her friends want to revive her. Part of the spell involves the wine of the mother, blood. Willow kills a fawn, collects its blood. Something pure, innocent, untainted, like Mack was."

"So this is part of some resurrection ritual?" Adam asked.

"Not necessarily a resurrection, but something dark, most likely," Chip specified. "More information on the symbol might lead us in the right direction."

"We'll get on it, then," Xander added, determined, "try and figure this out as soon as possible. Make someone, or something, pay."

As everyone started to leave the mobile command center, Dustin bent down to Cam and Tori's level. He placed a hand on Cam's shoulder and shook his head sadly.

"Dude," he said his team's resident genius. "You're losing your edge. Seriously."

Despite recent events, Tori couldn't hold back a small giggle at the small poke Dustin had taken at Cam.

* * *

Andrew Hartford sat by himself in his study, leafing through an old photo album, the pictures almost a blur before his eyes. Just over a year ago, he had finally been granted his greatest wish. And now, fate had cruelly decided to reclaim the most important gift ever bestowed upon him.

Feeling the sting of tears in his eyes, he set the album down and forced himself to take deep breaths. Regaining his composure, he looked to a display case across the room which held the Corona Aurora. He had tried to use it to bring Mack back once again, but had been unsuccessful in doing so. It seemed that even the Crown of the Gods had its limits.

Andrew barely noticed Spencer's arrival, only realizing he was no longer alone when the other man coughed discreetly to announce his presence.

"Spencer," Andrew spoke out, coming out of his daze, "is everything alright?"

"Yes sir," the older man answered, "I've had quite a bit of help from our guests and everything's running smoothly."

"Good," Andrew replied.

"Actually, I was coming to see you with regards to another matter," Spencer continued. "Now, I know that this decision isn't mine to make, but are you certain about attending the memorial in Angel Grove?"

"That memorial is for my son, Spencer," Andrew replied. "I have to go, for him."

"I realize that, sir," Spencer continued, his tone almost apologetic, "but I was just thinking about the larger context here. This will be a celebration of the events that took place ten years ago, of what initially set you on your quest for the Corona."

"Oh God," Andrew whispered, closing his eyes, feeling the tears coming back as memories of the past came rushing into his mind. While the fall of Dark Specter's forces had surely been one of the Rangers' greatest victories, for him, it had coincided with his greatest loss. He opened up his eyes once again, wiping away at them with his thumb and forefinger "I completely forgot about it Spencer. When Mack became human, that day became nothing more than a bad memory I decided to forget."

"I'm sure Ronny and the others would understand if you decided not to accompany them for the memorial," Spencer assured his employer.

"Of course they would, Spencer," Andrew acknowledged, "if they knew the truth. But they can't, and that's why I have to go with them to Angel Grove."

* * *

Z stood alone by the lake that bordered the Hartford estate, having slipped away from the reception shortly after it had begun.

"Hey Z," Jack said, announcing his arrival as he walked up next to her.

"Hey Jack," she answered, resting her head on her best friend's shoulder as they both looked out onto the peaceful waters. "Have I told you yet today how happy I am to have you back on the team?"

"We missed you at the reception, you know," Jack answered with a hint of a smile.

"I just needed to get away for a bit," she explained.

"You want to talk about what's bothering you?" he offered. Jack and Z had been close for a number of years before they had even joined SPD. It was easy for him to notice that something had been wrong with her before the ceremony. He just hadn't known what.

"After we defeated Grumm and you left," she started to explain, "I asked Doggie for information regarding my parents. He gave me access to their personnel files."

"They were recruited by SPD in 2003 and they both worked there until 2009," she continued. "They're among those who were never heard from again after the Blackout."

Z opened the small black purse she was carrying and pulled out two small pictures, which were slightly bent at the corners. She handed them both to Jack.

"These were taken while they were working for SPD," she explained.

"Z," Jack started, frowning as he looked at one of the pictures. "Is this who I think it is?"

"Yeah," Z answered. "That's my dad, Jack. Danny Delgado, the Black Wild Force Ranger."

_To be continued..._

_

* * *

Alright, so end of Chapter 9. Time for some pretty big news... we'll go in point form._

_1) Big question: Will the RPM Rangers be included in this fic in some way? At first, I would have answered no, because when I started the story, we knew next to nothing about the new team. As of this writing, we've had 5 episodes of the new season, which has been pretty darned good so far in my opinion. Add to that the fact that RPM is currently rumored to be the final season or PR, and there's no way I could write this epic without including them. I've already determined how and why they'll end up in 2009, but I have to stall their arrival a bit as we're still getting familiar with the characters and there are still two Rangers with unknown identities. Good stuff ahead. =)_

_2) Kimberly and Rocky, not a couple. Just a very strong bond between them because of events in their past that will be explored further in a future story bridging the gap between Power Rangers: Countdown, which I'm currently writing and which is a more indepth look at Countdown to Destruction from the eyes of the non-PRiS crew, and Power Rangers: End of Days. While my stories are all self-contained for the most part, I see them all taking part in the same continuity, so there will be the occasional reference. Let's be clear, you don't have to read Power Rangers: Countdown to be able to follow PR: End of Days. Still, you could be missing out on another pretty good story. =)_

_3) What happened to Andrew Hartford 10 years ago during the Countdown to Destruction? That will be revealed over in Power Rangers: Countdown when Chapter 13 eventually goes up, beginning of summer. I'll post a synopsis of the events here when that time comes for those who just want to follow End of Days._

_I'd like to thank everyone for the feedback: Ms. Fairweather, ImaSupernaturalCSI, Whispering Ranger, Original-Red-And-Pink-4ever, Warlord-Xana, guardianranger, Red shadow Ranger, BadWolf95, LoneWolfVampire13, Yellow At Heart, Pinkranger888, Vampuric Spider, Zap Rowsdower, red neo ranger, crazedchick, TommyandVegetaRock, saiyukifan526 and Puggles Master. And also thanks to everyone reading._

_The funeral scene was definitely one of the hardest things I've had to write so far and I'm glad that so many of you were moved by it._

_As to specific questions and comments._

_1) Warlord-Xana asked for a story that I guess would act like a prequel for RPM, with Rangers of various seasons trying to handle the onslaught of Venjix. That will come, I've already got a fun angle for it. I'd like to be done with this story first, though. That also answers Rap Rowsdower's question. =)_

_2) A hand for BadWolf95, who nailed the most important sentence in the eulogy, much like Dustin in this chapter. "Mack was the most innocent and the purest of us all, washed of all the pain and the darkness that comes with our lives as Rangers"._

_3) Also, with regards to Cassidy and Devin lightening up the atmosphere, should we really be happy that the anniversary of Countdown to Destruction is right around the corner when all this bad stuff is happening? Sure the scene was light, but that revelation should have you all worried about the timing._

_That's all for now. As always, keep the comments coming in!_

_Power down!_


	10. Peace, Love, and Woe

_**Chapter 10  
**_

_**Peace, Love & Woe  
**_

___(Original Posting Date: April 26th, 2009)_

* * *

_Author's Note: I'd like to thank **Saturnian Sorceress** for letting me use a little something from one of her fics entitled **Stupid Cupid**. I highly recommend this little oneshot that I enjoyed so much I just had to infuse a little bit of it in here. Fans of Kimberly and fans of Skull should all greatly enjoy this little gem. Check it out, it's listed in my favorite stories (this site won't let me post the full addie) and if you like it, do me a favor and leave Saturnian Sorceress a little review! =)_

_

* * *

_

_Angel Grove_

They arrived in the city where it had all begun sixteen years prior early on Saturday. Although most of them had come down from San Angeles aboard the Astro Megaship, some had decided to drive down instead. Those who had settled down in Angel Grove had offered a place to stay to those who were visiting. Many had accepted, although some had decided to remain aboard the Megaship, which had more than suitable accommodations. By the beginning of the afternoon, some of them had gone off on their own or in small groups to explore the place the first teams of Rangers had defended for years.

Having dropped her things off over at Trini's place, Kimberly had decided to go down to the park. When she had lived in Angel Grove, it had been one of her favorite places to go to. She now sat on a large rock by the lake, strumming her guitar's strings absently as she gazed at the water's surface. As painful as it was for her to be back in Angel Grove, being here, in this exact location, gave her a certain measure of peace.

"Trini told me I'd find you here," Tommy said as he sat down cross-legged on the rock next to her.

"Hey Tommy," she greeted him with a smile. Though she was happy to see him, she couldn't help but feel a wave of sadness wash over her whenever he was near.

"I came here a lot too after you left," Tommy admitted, squinting a bit from the sun. "This was where I asked you out to our first dance, after that whole deal with the green candle. It's also here that we shared our first kiss."

"I remember," Kimberly said wistfully, as she continued to pick on the strings.

"I missed you," Tommy told her, looking in her direction even though she didn't meet his gaze. "Every single day. And ever since you came back, well, things have been weird between us. I wish they weren't, Kim."

"I sent you into Kat's arms, Tommy," Kimberly explained, her voice sad. "That last time we spoke, I told you to be with her, to live your life. I'm happy you did that, but I never stopped loving you and I never thought I'd be back. It's just hard to be here, and it's hard to be just the friend. Give it time?"

"Alright, I can do that," he answered, flashing her a warm smile. "How about we head back? Hang out with the others, remember the good old times?"

"Okay," Kim responded, accepting the hand he offered her to help her to her feet.

"Hey, Tommy!" she heard a familiar voice call out from behind them. She turned towards it, instantly recognizing it.

"Kimberly?" the young man asked, looking as if he had just seen a ghost.

"Skull!" she shouted, handing the guitar to Tommy. She hopped off the rock and ran the short distance that separated her from him. The last time she'd seen him had been right before Dark Specter's final assault on Earth. He and Bulk had saved Tommy's life and, in the craziness that had ensued, the two had also managed to figure out their former secret identities.

"I can't believe you're here," he said, his eyes tearing up.

"Well you'd better believe it, mister," she replied joyfully, closing the gap between them and giving him a hug. To her surprise, he not only reciprocated the gesture, but he also didn't seem intent on letting go of her.

By the time Tommy finally joined the two of them, Skull reluctantly let go of Kimberly, letting her take a step back.

It was then that Kimberly noticed the pink gift bag that swayed gently in Skull's shaking hand. Pink satin paper seemed to flow out of it.

"You got me a seal, didn't you?" she asked him, pointing to the bag, smiling even as she felt her own eyes begin to water. "The whole time I was gone, you always did."

"I heard you were back. I thought you might be there tomorrow," Skull said, offering her his trademark smile as he handed her the bag.

Kimberly took it and took a seat on a bench that was a few feet away. Slowly, she pushed aside the pink satin sheets to get to the bag's contents. Eventually, she pulled it out.

It was just like the one he'd given her in the fourth grade. A tear rolled down her cheek as she looked at the small stuffed seal. It was pure white, with a black nose and eyes, and on its' nose, it balanced a stuffed heart with the words "Be Mine" sewn on in cursive.

She held it silently in her hands for nearly a minute. When she finally stood up, she looked Skull in the eyes and gave him a teary smile. "Thank you, Skull."

"I missed you, Kimberly," he whispered in her ear as she gave him another hug. This time, she was the one who almost squeezed the life out of him.

* * *

Cole was sitting on a dock over at the Angel Grove marina, his legs dangling over the water. Andrew Hartford's loss had affected him greatly. All things considered, he had barely gotten to know his son in the time he had lived as a human. It had been the same for Cole as far as his parents were concerned. They'd been taken from him, before their time, killed.

The others hadn't realized that this had been bothering him. They thought it was more of a fraternal bond that existed between red rangers, but that had very little, if nothing, to do with it. The simple truth of it was that a lost parent or a lost child hit too close to home as far as he was concerned.

Cole had also wanted to be alone to sort things out in his mind. At Mack's funeral, something had bothered him. It was a feeling he had had, that something wasn't right, that something had been very wrong. He hadn't been able to peg it down then, but he hoped that now, given the chance to focus, he'd be able to place his finger on it.

Eventually, the sun went down and the docks became deserted, leaving Cole alone with his thoughts. Almost alone, he thought, as he saw a stray dog make its way toward him.

Cole held out his hand, inviting the animal to approach further. Soon, the animal lay by his side, Cole stroking its fur, and the two of them just gazed out into the distance at the moon, rising in the sky. They stayed like that for nearly an hour.

For no apparent reason, the dog suddenly grew agitated, and Cole could sense fear coming from his new-found friend.

"What's wrong?" Cole asked the animal in a reassuring voice, trying to calm it down.

He tried to hear its thoughts, but with no success. The dog started barking loudly, its panic evident. They weren't alone.

Cole stood up on the dock and, followed by the stray dog, he jogged down to a well lit open area where he was certain no one would be able to sneak up on him. The entire time, he felt the animal getting more anxious and he started feeling it too, that someone out there was watching them.

He took his cell phone out of his jacket pocket and dialed Taylor's number. A loud thud behind him caused him to spin around, but he found that there was no one there. By this point, the dog was in a mad frenzy.

"Hey Cole," Taylor answered casually.

"Taylor, I'm at the docks," he said loudly enough to be heard over the dog's barking, "something's wrong."

Again, he heard a loud thud behind him, only louder, closer. This time, when he turned around, he wasn't alone. His cell phone was knocked out of his grip before a pair of hands grabbed him roughly by the jacket.

* * *

Kendrix was alone in the Megaship's lab area, looking over the information that had been compiled over the last few days. Photographs of Mack and of the crime scene, a copy of the police and coroner's reports, various newspaper clippings and personal notes were all spread out on the counter in front of her.

As they had done many times over the last few hours and days, Kendrix's eyes went to the crime scene photographs and, more specifically, the close-ups of the symbol on Mack's lower torso. Nor the Mystic Rangers nor their mentors had been able to identify the mark. Not even the Mystic Mother or some of their former enemies who had worshipped dark magic, Nikki, Itassis and Matoombo, had been in any position to provide assistance.

Examining the pictures, Kendrix frowned when she realized that, despite the fact the cuts had been deep, minimal bleeding had occurred when the symbol had been carved into Mack's skin. She pulled out a shot of his upper chest, immediately noticing that he had bled out much more profusely as a result of the killing blow.

"Something's wrong," she whispered to herself, recalling some of the information obtained from Itassis. While the Master's former follower had been of no use in identifying the symbol, she had nonetheless proven to be an invaluable source of information as far as the dark arts were concerned. Among other things, she had mentioned that the symbol had to have been carved into Mack's skin while he was still alive. Apparently, dark spells involving the marking of a victim or a sacrifice were enhanced through fear and pain.

Kendrix studied the picture of the symbol once again, realizing that these cuts had been made after Mack's death. Unless the killer had seriously messed up, then that meant that they were intentionally being led down the wrong road.

She pushed the pictures aside for a moment and landed on a clipping pertaining to the anniversary celebrations of the anniversary of Dark Specter's defeat. Though the timing of Mack's death hadn't been lost on them, mystical causes had seemed like such a obvious conclusion that they'd chosen to devote themselves to pursuing that track.

Starting to feel frustrated, Kendrix closed her eyes and thought back to the night Maya had told her and Karone about her dream. Rykon had killed her. Why Rykon? Surely, between Scorpius, Trakeena, Deviot and all the major evils they had gone up against, there had to be a reason why her vision had shown her Rykon. Kendrix's thoughts drifted to the image of her friend clutching her stomach, feeling the phantom pains of being impaled in her dream as she tried to reassure her. She also recalled the distant look she had seen in Karone's eyes.

"Okay," Kendrix said out loud to herself as she opened her eyes. "Rykon. What was so special about you that she had to see you? You arrived on Terra Venture, pretending to be Shondra. You pretended to be Maya's friend."

"Oh no," she whispered, figuring out the missing link. Rykon had been an enemy of the Rangers, trying to pass herself off as a friend in order to take them down when the right time came. It all made sense to her now. It was the tenth anniversary of the fall of Dark Specter's forces, of Astronema's forces. It was her, somehow. She was going to try to wipe them all out.

Kendrix was about to contact Maya to get her friend's opinion on her findings when she noticed a flashing icon on her laptop's screen. She had received an e-mail. Accessing her inbox, the first thing she noticed was the subject line, as it appeared to be a response to an e-mail she had sent to all her contacts with regards to the mysterious symbol that had caused them so much trouble. She then looked at the sender's identity and frowned. The message had been sent by Carolyn Pickets.

Carolyn was an actress she had met during the journey that had led Terra Venture to the planet Mirinoi. She had even gotten to replace the other woman in some of her roles because of their identical looks. Despite a bit of a rough start, the two women had ended up becoming good friends and Carolyn had even dedicated an award to her when she had accepted it.

Kendrix hadn't expected to receive an e-mail from Carolyn on this particular topic. True, the woman had extensive knowledge when it came to what was happening in the entertainment industry and she also had a very keen eye with all things fashion-related, but what would she know about what seemed to be a mystical symbol that even the greatest sorcerers and magical beings knew nothing about?

She opened the e-mail and started to read along, clicking on the links that Carolyn had provided her with. Although Kendrix was slightly confused when she clicked on the first link, which provided an image of a similar bloody carving, it was the second link that made all the pieces fall into place in her mind.

* * *

"How cool is it to be in Angel Grove, the place where Doctor O's ranger days all began?" Kira asked her boyfriend excitedly as they sat side by side in a booth at the Surf Spot.

"It's cool," Conner answered, his tone distant.

"Conner, are you okay?" Kira questioned, looking over to him curiously, not used to hearing that in his voice.

"No," Conner stated as he looked down to the ground. "Ever since Mack's death, you've been acting like everything's fine. I could understand you not wanting the others to see how hurt you are inside over this Kira, but I don't get why you're acting this way when we're alone."

"So, what?" Kira asked him. "You're upset because I haven't come crying to you so that you could comfort me like a good boyfriend?"

"Don't make this into a joke, Kira," Connor pleaded, his eyes meeting hers. "Please. It's not an ego thing. I know that Mack spent time with you while you were recording your album at the studio. I know there was a friendship there. And I know your heart too well to accept that you'd be unaffected by his death."

"I'm sorry, Conner," Kira apologized, reaching for his hand and taking it in hers. "I didn't realize how worried you were. I guess the reason I haven't been mourning Mack like everyone else is that I just don't think he's really gone."

"Not really gone?" Conner asked, confused by her words. "Kira, he's dead."

"And I know that," she replied, giving his hand a squeeze, "but we're Rangers. Since when has death meant the end of the line for us?"

"Doctor O told us that was a onetime deal," Conner reminded his girlfriend.

"So there'll be another way," Kira countered, as if she was stating the obvious. "Mack will figure out a way to come back, or we'll find a way to bring him back. It's not over, Conner. Deep inside, I know it. We just need to have hope."

He gave her hand a squeeze then and she noticed his eyes momentarily moisten up. He then pulled her into his arms, holding her close. "You really had me worried there, you know that?"

Before Kira could answer, the familiar chime of Conner's cell phone started up. Reluctantly, he let go of her and picked up the device, which was sitting on the table in front of them. "It's Ethan," he said casually, looking at the phone's display.

Kira and Conner exchanged a worried glance when her own phone then started to ring. In her case, the call was coming from Trent. Quickly, they both accepted the incoming calls.

"Hey Trent," she answered uneasily, "what's up?"

"I've got Kira," she heard him say urgently, though the comment clearly wasn't directed at her. She also heard Ethan's voice, confirming that he had Conner on the line.

"Trent?" she asked, feeling more and more worried.

"You're with Conner?" he questioned her instead of answering her question, his voice tense.

"Yes," she responded. "What the hell is going on?" Next to her, she could hear the same frustration in Conner's voice as he told Ethan where they were.

"It's Cole," Trent told her. "The Wild Force Rangers found his body over at the docks."

* * *

"We're on our way to the lab right now, Leo," Maya spoke into her transmoprher as she and Cassie sprinted through the brightly lit halls of the Megaship. "Kendrix contacted me just a few minutes ago. She thinks she's figured this whole thing out."

"Alright," came Leo's voice through the communicator. "The three of you stay together. Mike and I will be down as soon as we've checked in with Damon and Kai. Then we'll head down to the docks, meet up with the Wildforce Rangers. Dana and Carter are already on their way."

"Got it," Maya confirmed before she pushed a button on her transmorpher, ending their conversation. A few moments later, she heard Cassie do the same with Ashley.

It wasn't long before they reached the lab. When they stepped inside, it was deserted. Kendrix was nowhere to be seen, but her laptop and her notes were spread out on a large counter right in front of them.

"Kendrix?" Maya called out tentatively as she walked to the counter and started looking down at the various papers.

"Kendrix?" Cassie echoed as she started making her way around the counter. She seemed to freeze in place for a fraction of a second, and Maya noticed that she was looking at something on the floor. "Kendrix!" she yelled out, her voice tinged with panic as she disappeared behind the counter.

Maya dropped the papers she had picked up and rushed to get to Cassie. When she saw her, the young woman was down on the cold metal floor, sobbing as she held on to her best friend's now lifeless body. Maya, noticing the crimson stain expanding on the other girl's pink sweater, knew there was nothing to be done.

"Please wake up," she could hear Cassie sob, over and over again as she rocked the body in her arms, lost in her grief. There was no doubt in Maya's mind that Cassie was reliving the moment when Kendrix had sacrificed her own life for her back on Rashon. Back then, she'd blamed herself for Kendrix's death. Clearly, she was doing the same now.

But it wasn't Cassie's fault, Maya thought as she fell to her knees, her eyes losing focus as they filled with tears. Maya had brought her friends back to Earth, despite Loyax's warnings. "I'm so sorry, Kendrix," she whispered even as she heard the doors sliding open at Leo and Mike's arrival.

_To be continued..._

_

* * *

So, I've gotten some requests to move the story along a bit. That's why we've got a bit of a longer chapter this time around, in order to still have the character moments. This, everyone, is the point of no return. If you choose to continue reading, know that no one is safe and that this ain't your traditional Power Rangers anymore. At the beginning of this story, I warned that this was going to be dark, well darkness is about to descend on the Rangers like it never has before. Can you handle it?_

_So, Kira & Conner finally made it with their very own scene. What can I say? project314 promises, project314 delivers._

_Little continuity tidbits. For the lowdown on Bulk & Skull saving Tommy and finally discovering the identities of the Rangers, as well as the official end of Tommy and Kimberly's relationship, check out Power Rangers: Countdown, which is my other big ongoing story. Either that, or just know that in my continuity, they did those things. As for that little adorable seal, check out the story I mentioned in the author's note at the top of the page by Saturnian Sorceress. _

_Next time, we'll finally see the RPM Rangers and we'll also have a bit of focus on the Time Force Rangers._

_Reader's column! Thanks to everyone who wrote in. I really enjoy getting your impressions so keep 'em coming! Big thanks to prophet144, Pinkyy, Red shadow Ranger, Linnea212, milordo-z 2.0, Original-Red-And-Pink-4ever, guardianranger, LoneWolfVampire13, Iron-Mantis, Puggles Master, snake screamer, ImaSupernaturalCSI, Yellow At Heart, Grass King & cloverbot. It always brings a smile to my face to hear from you all._

_1) So, Danny as Z's dad, with their names, it's a question that came up in SPD. I think it adds a fun dynamic in this story considering not too many characters are related by blood. A talk will come eventually, though I'm not sure when._

_2) Dustin's poke at Cam. That was a popular one, and a moment I particularly loved. A funny Dustin is my favorite Dustin._

_3) Clare is still at Rootcore, though we might see her again eventually._

_4) No major plans for Venjix, though he will appear in the next chapter, most likely, with the introduction of the RPM Rangers._

_5) The Rangers will figure out who killed Mack by the end of Chapter 13._

_6) Carter/Dana will have their time to shine, particularly when that scene from the trailer comes around. I will try and give them more than that, though. Cole/Alyssa, sadly is not something to expect, due to the events of this chapter._

_7) The mystic symbol is a tricky thing as you'll have seen. There's more to it than meets the eye, though there is at least one interesting clue in this chapter._

_8) RPM will definitely be introduced with a twist. Ziggy will most likely get the final word in one of the next two chapters and then you'll be able to picture the episode fading to black, just like an ep of RPM (which I am loving, what with the fights and the flashbacks)._

_9) No more Buffy, as far as I know. Unless there's an awesome reference that comes up, we're now strictly PR._

_10) The whole stuff with the ritual might be nothing more than smoke and mirrors if Kendrix turned out to be right. Still, Dustin definitely put the pieces together nicely. _

_11) SPD pairings? Not so much here. Though Sky/Syd isn't out of the question, I will be exploring them more in a future SPD-based arc over in PR: Countdown. I'll keep you posted._

_12) I will say Grass King is most definitely onto something with his theories relating to Andrew Hartford. His tragic tale will eventually be told, in PR: Countdown as well. Cliff notes version will be available for readers who just want to read End of Days. =)_

_13) cloverbot found me through **Funky in Fishnet**'s oneshot **But a Child**, a great little Eric story about his relationship with that little girl he met in Time Force, Alice. A different side of him, very sweet. Awesome moments with both Wes and Taylor. I highly recommend it. The site won't let me put the full addie, so just check out my favorite stories in my profile to find it!_

_That's all for now. Thanks for reading, thanks for writing in and I'll see you all next time! Anyone who's yet to press that little 'submit review' button, feel free to do so. Guaranteed response. And for anyone wanting to know when this story is updated, remember to select the story alert or author alert options in the drop-down menu._

_Power down!_


	11. Rangers Back in Time, Part I

_**Chapter 11  
**_

_**Rangers Back in Time, Part I  
**_

___(Original Posting Date: June 29th, 2009)_

* * *

Dana and Carter arrived at the Angel Grove marina in the Rescue Rover, accompanied by Bridge, Sophie, Jack and Z, shortly after the call regarding Cole's death. Eric and Taylor were waiting for them in the parking area. While they normally both carried themselves with an air of confidence and a certain cockiness, their current expressions were simply a mix of grief and anger.

"We're so sorry about Cole," Dana offered as they approached them, taking a moment to give Taylor a hug. She was surprised yet slightly saddened by the former fighter pilot's ability to keep her emotions in check. Not a single tear flowed from her eyes, not the slightest shiver coursed through her body. Most assuredly, Taylor was keeping the strong façade up for the benefit of her team, but Dana knew that she had to be devastated inside. Next to her, Eric kept casting worried glances in his girlfriend's direction, quite likely for the same reasons.

The others also extended their sympathies. The small group then quietly made its way to the area where the Wild Force Rangers and Eric had found Cole. As they approached the fallen Ranger, they noticed that his former teammates, who all stood nearby, had covered up his body with their jackets.

Danny Delgado and Max Cooper, the Black and Blue Wild Force Rangers, stood side by side. Both of them looked down at the covered body. Danny's hand lay on Max's shoulder. The youngest member of the team sniffled as he wiped at his eyes.

Near them, Merrick Baliton, the Lunar Wolf Wild Force Ranger, held Alyssa Enrile, the White Wild Force Ranger, tightly in his arms, his chin resting on the top of her head. For a moment, Dana could almost swear she saw a tear form in Taylor's eye as the other girl caught a glimpse of the young woman falling apart in Merrick's comforting embrace.

As Jack and Z led the four Wild Force Rangers away and Carter walked off, retrieving his cell phone from his pocket, Dana got down on her knees by Cole's body and removed the jackets that had been laid on him. She remembered the first time she'd met him, shortly after a mission he'd been on with Carter and a group of Red Rangers. There had been a love for life and a childlike sense of joy and wonder in him, a constant gleam in his eyes. Now, those same eyes lifelessly looked up towards the darkened sky.

Dana tried her hardest to maintain her composure, knowing that now was not the time to mourn this loss. Gently, she ran her hand down his face, closing his eyes.

"Dana?" Taylor asked simply as he knelt beside her, laying a hand on her shoulder.

"There's no sign of a struggle," she answered, looking the body over. "The positioning of the legs and the angle the head's at suggest a fall. I couldn't tell you from what height, though."

"Twenty floors," Sophie stated from behind them, where she was standing with Bridge. "Cybernetic enhancements," she explained, pointing at her eyes, catching the other Rangers' curious expressions. "A scan of the body shows that all of Cole's bones have been crushed, as if he'd fallen off a twenty-storey building."

"But how's that even possible?" Eric asked, taking a quick look around them. "There's not a single building around us or any crane high enough. This is a completely open spot."

"Unless he was nabbed and dropped from the sky," Bridge suggested, raising an eyebrow.

"I heard him die," Taylor recalled, standing back up, her voice breaking slightly, the words coming out slowly. "He had a feeling something was wrong and so he called me. A dog was barking in the background, I had trouble making out what Cole was saying. There was this thud, and then I lost Cole. I think his phone was knocked out of his hand. The barking got louder and louder and so did a scream that ended with a loud crash. I'll never be able to forget that scream. He's dead."

They all stared at Cole silently. Realizing that they would discover nothing else, Dana covered him once again with the jackets of his teammates, feeling her eyes moisten.

* * *

"There have been two more deaths," Carter said into his cell phone as he kept a weary eye on his wife. He hated leaving her by herself in a moment like this but he knew this took precedence.

"Rangers?" Bill Mitchell, his father-in-law and ex-mentor asked him.

"Kendrix Morgan, Galaxy Rangers, and Cole Evans, Wild Force Rangers," Carter confirmed succinctly.

"You don't think you're all being targeted because of the anniversary, do you?" Bill queried.

"I don't know," Carter answered, shifting his gaze to the other group of Rangers. "Maybe, but I don't want to take any chances. Dana and I need you and Sammie to disappear, whatever it takes. If we're targets, then it's quite likely our families will be as well."

The line stayed silent for a few moments as Bill contemplated the request and its implications.

"Carter," he started to say, "I know that I can't expect you to leave the others at a time like this."

"Don't worry," Carter reassured his father-in-law, "I'll bring them both back safely. I promise."

* * *

Z and Jack were trying their best to comfort the rest of the Wild Force Rangers in the wake of Cole's death. However, such a feat proved to be too much to handle, particularly when faced with telling them of the fate which had befallen Kendrix. As much as they wanted to shield the grieving Rangers from such news, they knew that was not a luxury they could afford. With three dead Rangers, they had to assume that all their lives were in danger and therefore, sugarcoating things was not an option.

Z had worried that Alyssa, who had apparently been most affected by Cole's death, would completely shut down. Fortunately, that hadn't been the case, but that was most likely due to Merrick's calming presence and his whispered reassurances. He walked off with her, and they both sat down on a crate, Alyssa leaning her head against Merrick's chest as he stroked the back of her head.

As for Danny and Max, they were both too stunned to react to the news.

"What the hell is happening?" Max asked, the sorrow in his eyes replaced by fear.

"I wish I knew," Jack answered, meeting the other ranger's gaze.

"We'll get to the bottom of this," Z promised, looking in Danny's direction.

"We have to," he agreed, nodding firmly.

"Yes you do," she echoed softly as her right hand went up to her necklace, her eyes cast downward. She felt Jack's right hand slide into her left one, squeezing it lightly. When she looked back up, she noticed Danny eyeing her curiously.

"Is something wrong, Danny?" she asked him, drawing him out of his thoughts.

"I'm sorry," he answered, smiling a bit. "It's just that I have a little girl, Elizabeth. Your eyes, they're just like hers."

Z returned the smile, but at the same time, she fought back the emotions that were tearing her apart. She wanted nothing more than to tell Danny she was his daughter, only she didn't know if she should. Almost as if he could read her thoughts, Jack slipped his right hand in her left one and gave it a gentle squeeze.

* * *

Nearby, watching them all as they dealt with the death of one of their own, a tall figure stood atop a large metal container, shrouded in shadows.

Camille had been there ever since the Lightspeed and SPD Rangers had arrived, looking on at the scene playing itself out before her.

"It's begun," she whispered, her features grim and tight. Shortly thereafter, she shimmered away.

* * *

_Outside the domed city of Corinth - The near future_

The Venjix Human Infiltration Attack Bot known as Tenaya 7 was unable to hold back a satisfied smirk as, on the holoscreen display before her, Venjix's latest creation was annihilated in a flaming inferno by the RPM Rangers. It was always the same routine. Venjix sent in an attack bot, the Rangers destroyed it. Venjix 'initiated the download', transforming the downed bot into a towering monstrosity, the Rangers, using one of their many Zord configurations, destroyed it yet again.

It was all so predictable, just as the banter that normally followed Venjix's defeats. General Crunch would make an insignificant remark that would get him blasted on certain days. Venjix and General Shifter would on the other hand make light of the day's defeat and focus on their inevitable upcoming victory.

Still, for all their talk, they always fell in the same old routines, sending in one attack bot after the next, not realizing that just as their own creations evolved in terms of power and technology, so did the Rangers' equipment and their numbers. And so, the endless stream of defeats.

As the holoscreen went blank and as Venjix voiced his disappointment with the day's turn of events, Tenaya 7 rolled her eyes, waiting to be dismissed.

Eventually, Venjix let them all go, staying behind in his throne room. Tenaya 7 wasted little time getting out, followed by General Crunch and General Shifter.

"You seem particularly content, Tenaya 7," General Shifter commented, having noticed the self-satisfied smirk on her face as they'd departed the throne room.

"Perhaps that's because I've figured out how to do what no one else around here can," she answered as she kept walking towards her quarters. The other two kept up with her.

"And what's that?" General Crunch queried as they followed her into her room.

"Destroying the Rangers once and for all," she declared, picking up a small metal box from her bed. Opening it, she pulled out a new cybernetic hand implant.

"You see," she explained, looking at the two generals in turn, "what we've been trying to accomplish here, it's been done before. Unlike you two and the big guy though, I did my homework. I'm going to send the Rangers back in time, to the day where their legacy became history."

As the two generals cackled excitedly, confident in the imminent success of Tenaya 7's plan despite not knowing its details, she contemplated the final destruction of the Rangers. She looked at the hand implant she held in her hand and a sinister smile formed on her lips.

* * *

_Angel Grove - 2009_

Jen and Wes were waiting for the rest of the Time Force Rangers, minus Eric, to pick them up. Having initially planned to enjoy their time in Angel Grove, Wes had made them reservations at a much-hyped small French restaurant downtown.

Their quiet evening alone had been interrupted just as they were waiting for dessert when Lucas had gotten a hold of them, reaching Wes on his cell phone. The news he had delivered had shocked them both, particularly with regards to Cole, whom they had both fought with.

After Lucas' call, Wes had quickly settled the check and he and Jen had started to make their way to the location where Katie, Lucas and Trip were meant to pick them up.

"I can't believe this is happening," Jen declared as a shiver ran through her body.

"Neither can I," Wes conceded somberly, taking off his jacket and putting it on his fiancée's bare shoulders.

"Thanks," she said, looping her arm in his as they walked down the busy sidewalk. In response, Wes turned his head in her direction and tenderly kissed her on the cheek.

"So, whatever's going on," he started, "is that why the others are in such a hurry to get back to the future? Is it that bad? I mean, they even want me to come along."

Wes' question took her by surprise, but in a sense it had been inevitable. Jen had dodged the matter ever since her friends had brought up their imminent departure from the year 2009.

"It's complicated, Wes," she said simply, looking down. "Just like everything about time travel."

She left it at that and was glad when Wes didn't prod any further.

"Here," he said as he turned into a small alley. "This is where the others are going to pick us up."

Jen followed him although she wasn't particularly crazy about the rendezvous point. Not only was the narrow alley deserted, but it was also quite dark. Even with the warmth provided by Wes' jacket, Jen felt shivers run up her spine.

They waited in silence for a few minutes until three familiar figures finally appeared at the alley's entrance.

"It's about time you guys got here," Jen told them as they approached them. "Let's go."

"I'm sorry, Jen," Lucas apologized as he got closer, flanked by Katie and Trip, "but you're not going anywhere."

"No, you can't do this," Jen objected, seeing the expressions on their faces. Seeing that they were blocking her off, she started backing away.

"Wes, let's go," she said to her fiancé as she grabbed his arm. "Wes?" she repeated surprised, realizing that he wasn't budging.

"Sorry, babe," he said coldly. "This is the end of the road."

* * *

Andros, Carlos and Zhane were on the Astro Megaship's bridge, using the ship's communications systems to track down the last of those unaccounted for. TJ and Ashley had run off to the lab after Mike had called in Kendrix's death.

"What's our status?" Andros asked as he entered a series of commands on the panel in front of him.

"Just heard from Jason and RJ," Carlos announced from his station. "Zordon's original twelve and the Jungle Fury team are all safe."

"Zhane?" Andros continued, the anxiety obvious in his voice. "Talk to me. Any word from Karone?"

"Nothing yet," Zhane answered, clearly as worried about her as her brother was.

"D.E.C.A.," he ordered the ship's sentient systems, "initiate a city-wide search for Karone."

"Scanning now," D.E.C.A. confirmed as a map of Angel Grove appeared on one of the bridge's view screens.

"We'll find her Andros," Carlos said, joining in on the efforts to find his friend's sister.

"Incoming call from the lab," Zhane announced as he patched it through. "Teej, what's going on?" he asked.

"I tried to check the camera footage from the lab," TJ told them over the ship's intercom system, "but the cameras were disabled prior to Kendrix's death. They came back on after, though, and they got something. You guys aren not going to like this."

On the bridge's main monitor, static filled the screen for a few seconds before they got a view of the lab.

"It can't be," Andros whispered, shaking his head, his voice catching in his throat as they watched her step into the frame, her hands and clothes covered in blood just as she calmly exited the lab, her face showing no emotion.

* * *

_The domed city of Corinth - The near future_

The mysterious young man known only as Dillon and Ziggy Grover, the Black and Green RPM Rangers, were on their way down to the location of the latest attack by Venjix's forces. Dr. K, the young scientist who had created their powers and Zords had alerted them of the situation and informed them that their teammates had already been dispatched to deal with the threat. At their current speed, which was already well above the allowed limit, they would reach their destination in less than five minutes.

"So, Dillon," Ziggy asked from the passenger seat, "do you think of me any differently?"

"What're you talking about?" Dillon responded, taking a moment to look quizzically at the young man sitting next to him.

"I mean, I know it was like a big joke when I became a Ranger," he said, looking down at his Rev Morpher, which was strapped to his wrist. "Everyone thought it was the worst thing that could have happened to the team. Here you were, big, strong and brooding, fitting in perfectly in the group. But me, I'm the guy everyone just expects to screw up."

"That's not true, Ziggy," Dillon told him as he clutched the gear shift, getting ready to accelerate slightly. "Remember the time the Sat Bot blasted me off that building and you just jumped after me to save my life? You've got a good heart. We'd all place our lives in your hands."

"Really?" Ziggy pondered out loud with a smile, frowning a bit.

"Well, maybe you still have to prove yourself a bit more," Dillon answered, unable to lie.

Right then, Dr. K's voice started transmitting through their Rev Morphers. "Ranger Operators Series Black and Green," she said urgently, "I've lost the others."

"What do you mean, you've lost the others?" Dillon asked angrily as he turned his steering wheel sharply to the left. His car swerved into a deserted street, skidding a bit before he regained control. Next to him, Ziggy, surprised by the sudden application of centrifugal force, found his face squashed against the window.

"I mean it's like they fell off the grid, Ranger Operator Series Black," Dr. K answered, her voice transmitted to him through his Rev Morpher's communication relay.

"Owww," Ziggy complained as he pushed himself away from his door and strapped his seatbelt properly.

"They're not dead are they?" Dillon queried, shifting gears as he slammed his foot down on the gas pedal.

"No, they're not," Dr. K responded. "If they were, I'd still be able to track down residual energy from their morphers. Whatever's happened, I just can't detect them."

* * *

_Angel Grove - 2009_

The moon shone brightly in the clear sky, casting a faint light down on the quarry where the Rangers had fought so many historic battles over the years, the quarry where so many of them were doomed to fall.

Karone was perched at the top of a cliff overlooking the vast expanse of sand and rocks. A cool breeze sent strands of her hair into her face, yet she didn't push them aside.

She knew they would come for her, that it was only a matter of time until they found her. It was inevitable.

Karone brought her hands up slightly and stared at them, her expression cold and unaffected. They were covered in Kendrix's blood.

_To be continued..._

_

* * *

Not much to say this time around other than a huge thank you to everyone who's been reading and reviewing. It always makes me smile when I hear from you guys and it makes writing this story so incredibly rewarding. You're the best readers I could have ever asked for._

_Now, a little plug. Last week, I finished posting a little two-shot story. It focuses on Bill and Dana Mitchell and it's called Daughters. I don't want to say too much, because much like End of Days, it's a bit twisty and I don't want to give anything away. Nonetheless, I think it's a nice short character-focused companion-piece to this story, especially considering Bill and little Sammie Grayson-Mitchell might get some face time here._

_On to your reviews, because there was an onslaught of feedback following Cole's and Kendrix's deaths. I'm evil, I know, but that's why you all love me and this story. Thanks go out to Ms. Fairweather, prophet144, Whispering Ranger, Linnea212, Original-Red-And-Pink-4ever, diamond, 100TenMillion, BadWolf95, ImaSupernaturalCSI, Grass King, LoneWolfVampire13, Red shadow Ranger, Traitor-Hero, aznphoenix95, Pinkranger888, k-power80, Iron-Mantis, snake screamer, ChernabogRocks, SmartGurl9552, Puggles Master, crazedchick & cloverbot!_

_So, um, the theories as to who did it have started coming in. Let's see some more, you guys!Grass King asked me in his review what the second link Kendrix clicked on was. For everyone's benefit, I'll say it right here, right now, the second link isn't essential to figuring things out. This, my friends is the question: what was the first link? Then again, considering the reveals in this chapter, maybe you don't need to figure out the answer to that question..._

_Next chapter, more RPM, more Time Force (it is going to be called Rangers Back in Time, Part II, after all) and more overall goodness! Very exciting stuff coming up, including the best line ever, courtesy of the unique, the awesome, the Ziggy, next chapter. In the meantime, remember to hit that review button and send me your feedback and theories!_

_Power down!_


	12. Rangers Back in Time, Part II

__

_**Chapter 12  
**_

_**Rangers Back in Time, Part II  
**_

___(Original Posting Date: July 19th, 2009)_

* * *

_The domed city of Corinth - The near future_

Dillon and Ziggy covered the distance separating them from their friends' last known location in record time. As Dr. K guided them to the exact spot where the others had disappeared, they eventually saw a familiar figure standing in the middle of the street, waiting for them. Tenaya 7.

Upon noticing their nemesis, Dillon instinctively pushed down on the gas pedal, but his car was already tearing down the street at maximum speed as it was. He glared at her, maintained his course, rage building up inside as he caught her smirking at him, her eyes locking with his.

"You're going to hit her," Ziggy warned him, panicking slightly as his hands instinctively ran up his seatbelt to make sure he was securely strapped in. "You're going to hit Tenaya 7!"

"Dillon," Dr. K's voice transmitted through his morpher, "keep in mind that she holds the key to finding the others."

Dillon was taken off guard by Dr. K's use of his name. Although she'd been making efforts of late to act with less detachment towards the team, they'd all had difficulty getting the hang of hearing her speak their names. At the last instant, he took his foot off the gas pedal and slammed it on the brake. The car screeched to a stop only a few feet away from Tenaya 7, who hadn't flinched. She kept looking him in the eyes.

Dillon was out of the car seconds later, violently slamming the door shut. Inside the vehicle, Ziggy struggled briefly with his seatbelt. Dillon and Tenaya 7 silently stared each other down until Ziggy arrived next to him.

"Hello Rangers," Tenaya 7 greeted them with a grin, "it's so nice of you to finally join me."

"Where are the others?" Dillon asked her, his tone threatening.

"What, no small talk?" she responded, feigning disappointment. "Oh right, you're the brooding one."

"You're trying my patience," Dillon warned. "Now we can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way."

"My thoughts exactly," Tenaya 7 agreed as she lifted her arm in front of her, palm facing out in their direction. Her hand was momentarily enveloped in a red glow before a red beam shot out of her palm in the Rangers' direction.

Dillon's superhuman reflexes kicked in and he managed to push Ziggy clear of the beam's path, barely dodging it himself as it slammed into his car, which shimmered out of existence. When they were both clear, they exchanged a quick glance and nodded to each other. As one, they both got hold of and inserted their Engine Cell Morph Chips into their Rev Morphers.

"RPM, get in gear!" they called out before activating their morphers. Instantly, their Ranger biosuits enveloped their bodies.

"Dude, where's you car?" Ziggy deadpanned, before he turned his attention to their enemy.

"Fine, we'll do it your way then," Tenaya 7 stated as she took a defensive stance. "You see, I know I could destroy you all if I really wanted to, but I believe in efficiency." Her visor dropped down, hiding most of her face. The cocky smile she wore on her lips was enough to send a chill up Dillon's spine.

"Where are our friends?" the Black Ranger asked again in the same tone as before.

"They're fine. For the time being," Tenaya 7 answered. "And you're about to join them for their last little adventure," she added, raising her arm and firing in their direction once again.

This time, Dillon was ready. "Invincibility shield!" he called out, triggering his morpher, summoning a shield burst that blocked the blast.

Just as the shield went down, Tenaya 7 came charging at them. Her own reflexes being a match for Dillon's, she caught him off guard with a kick to his midsection that sent him flying a half-dozen feet, landing him on his back. Turning in Ziggy's direction, she ducked under a swing from his Turbo Axe before she placed her open palm on his suit at chest level.

"Goodbye, Ranger Green," she said with a laugh before firing.

"Ziggy, no!" Dillon cried out seeing the Green Ranger vanish. As he got back on his feet, he kept his hand near his morpher, ready to fire another shield burst at a moment's notice.

"I always knew it would come down to this, Ranger Black," Tenaya 7 declared, her visor clearing away. "You against me, with the fate of Corinth city hanging in the balance."

Dillon remained silent, clenching his fists by his side as he prepared for what was sure to be his toughest battle.

"But I'm going to make you an offer you can't afford to refuse," she continued, stepping closer. "Your friends, they're all as good as dead. Now, I can send you to them. Maybe you can save them, get them all back to the present. Or maybe, you'll just die with them. The choice is yours."

Dillon lowered his head slightly as he took in Tenaya 7's words, feeling conflicted.

"Dillon," he heard Dr. K's voice echoing in his visor. "Do not listen to her. Your first priority must be to protect Corinth and its' people. You're the only person standing in Venjix's way."

The last of the RPM Rangers thought of the sister he was searching for, of the people he had been trusted to protect, of the evil he had sworn to defeat. Then, he thought of the family that had taken him in as one of their own, of the words Summer had spoken on the day he'd accepted the responsibility of becoming a Ranger. _"You're the kind of person I want saving me"_, she had told him that day, letting him know she trusted him with her life. Those words echoed in his head as he brought his arms to his sides and powered down.

"Do it," Dillon ordered. He glared at his nemesis as she victoriously raised her arm and took aim at him, swearing to himself that he'd come through for Summer and the others just as they had for him so many times. They were all going to make it back, and then they would take Venjix down.

_

* * *

Angel Grove - 2009_

Following the discovery of Kendrix's body and of the footage implicating Karone in her death, it had quickly become clear that something big was happening and that all the Rangers were targets. Most teams had been ordered to regroup and in some cases pair up so they could at least benefit from strength in numbers. Still, no order had been made for everyone to gather in one area, as such a maneuver risked turning them all into a single target that could be easily wiped out.

"Still no word on Karone's location," Adam said as he rejoined his former teammates and Tommy's former charges in the living room of Trini's home. Billy, Justin and Ethan's presence had been requested on the Megaship to see if they could find anything important at the scene of Kendrix's murder. The rest of them had been instructed to sit tight.

"Everyone else is accounted for though, right?" Kira asked. She was sitting on a couch between Trent and Conner, her hand holding her boyfriend's.

"Most of them are," Adam answered, drawing questioning looks from all the people in the room. "Apart from Eric, we don't know where the rest of Time Force is.

"This is so not happening," Kimberly said.

"They could just be out of range," Trini offered upon thinking of the less dire scenario. The lack of response to her suggestion seemed to indicate that no one else found it plausible.

"Anyhow," Adam continued, drawing their attention once more, "Andros seemed to think that Kendrix and Cole were both targeted because they were on to the killer. Because of her premonitory dreams, he's placed Maya under tight surveillance. He's also suggested that SPD keep a close eye on Bridge because of his genetic powers. Trip's powers as a Xybrian also make him a potential mark."

Adam lowered his head. It was obvious he wasn't looking forward to what he'd have to say next.

"No," Aisha whispered, her eyes tearing up, "not me, Adam. Please."

"I'm sorry, Aisha," Adam apologized to his best friend, closing the gap between her and holding her tightly in his arms.

"When Aisha left the team," Tommy started to explain for the benefit of his former students, "she went to Kenya. Her training there helped her develop a strong connection with the wildlife and with the land itself. But that connection grew in unforeseen ways because of her prior link with the Morphin' Grid. Visions, precognitive dreams, astral projection, you name it. She foresaw certain events that happened during Dark Specter's final assault on the universe, helped save my life. She's powerful."

"We won't let anyone get to you Aisha," Kat promised from the spot where she stood next to Tommy.

"That's right," Jason reassured her. "No one is getting their hands on you."

* * *

"I'm not going to say it again, let go of my arm, Lucas," Jen ordered her former teammate, looking first at his hand, which held her by the elbow, then at his face, scowling. He removed his hand, and she took a step towards Wes, looking at him in anger.

"Jen, you're going back with the others," he told her coldly.

"I can't believe you're pulling this stunt again," she confronted him, furious. "We're a team, Wes. We stay together. And more than anything, you should know by now that I am not leaving you alone to face certain death."

Jen's final words caught Wes off guard and she knew then that she had said too much. Little was known about the specific events which were about to unfold in the near future, but the deaths of Mack, Cole and Kendrix didn't foreshadow anything good.

"So that's why you wanted to take both Jen and me back to the future," Wes said, looking at Katie, Lucas and Trip in turn. It seemed like the pieces of the puzzle were finally falling into place in his head. "To protect us. Whatever's happening, it's only starting, isn't it?"

"We don't know much, Wes," Katie answered, stepping forward to stand by Jen. "The records of what happens today, it's a mystery. There's this big event, the Blackout. No information makes it in or out of the state for the following days. The civilian casualties are extensive, to say the least. And afterwards, there's no trace of anyone who was part of the Rangers' legacy."

"We've changed destiny before," Wes said, more to himself than to the others. "I can do it again."

"Wes," Trip started to say, but he was cut off.

"No. I still want you guys to leave," he said, shaking his head, setting his gaze on Jen. "I need to know you'll be safe, Jen. I can't afford to worry about anything happening to you, to any of you."

"I'm not going anywhere, Wes," she replied with resolve, making it clear that it was pointless to try and change her mind.

"We're all sticking around," Lucas said, having exchanged nods with Trip and Katie. "Besides, we of all people should know that destiny's not written in stone."

"Alright," Wes said, worried yet comforted by their decision. "Let's do this."

* * *

Soaring through the dark skies a few minutes before dawn aboard his Galaxy Glider, Andros was preparing to face the most difficult moment of his life.

A few minutes ago, D.E.C.A had detected Karone's presence at the quarry. Andros had insisted that the others let him confront his sister alone, that they at least give him a head start so that he'd have a chance to sort out what was going on.

Now, he was only mere minutes from his destination. As the seconds seemed to drag on forever, he blamed himself for not being more present for Karone. He should have realized that the anniversary of Dark Specter's defeat and consequently, the fall of Astronema, would be a difficult moment for her to face. He had seen her become more quiet, more reserved, sad even as the day had approached. Zhane and Ashley had seen it as well, although neither one of them brought the subject up with her.

He didn't know what was going on. The security footage they had seen had been all too clear. Karone had been covered in Kendrix's blood before she had left the lab, looking as though this hadn't affected her in the least. Maybe Dark Specter had planted a failsafe within her to ensure Astronema's return when the right time came. And of all times for him to enact his revenge, this seemed ideal, as the Rangers and the people of Earth were all preparing to celebrate his fall.

Andros shook the thoughts away as he made his final approach. It was always possible that Karone had found Kendrix's body and that, unable to deal with the Pink Ranger's death, she'd simply run off. All the evidence they'd found had been circumstantial. She wasn't necessarily the killer.

As his Galaxy Glider set down on top of the cliff, he saw Karone standing on its edge, her back to him. Andros powered down and took a step in her direction. "Karone?" he called out tentatively. She slowly turned around to face him. As she did, her appearance slowly changed.

"No," he whispered, "this can't be happening."

It had been his greatest fear that one day he would look upon his sister to find that she had been replaced once again by Astronema. Now, the villainess stood before him, her Wrath Staff in hand, smirking at him.

"You brought me back, Andros," she said coldly. "Now, it ends."

Before Andros could say a word, she rushed him.

* * *

Over by city hall, everything was ready for the celebration of the Rangers' victory against Dark Specter's forces. Soon, the area would be crawling with locals and tourists hoping to find themselves in the presence of the city's greatest protectors.

As the sun slowly began its ascension, chasing away the shadows and the darkness, Dillon shimmered into existence in the city hall's parking area. He quickly got his bearings, though his hand instinctively reached for the spot on his chest where Tenaya 7's beam had hit him. It hadn't injured him or caused him any pain, only a mild discomfort as he'd been transported to a location and a time that were unknown to him. He quickly scanned his surroundings to make sure he hadn't been set up to be ambushed, not noticing anything out of the ordinary.

"Dr. K, can you hear me?" he spoke into his morpher, his question met with silence. "Scott? Summer? Anyone?"

Dillon sighed as he brought his arm back down by his side. It was then that he heard it, a faint thumping and muffled screams. Even though he realized that this could be a setup, he started racing in the direction of the sounds. Gradually, they became louder and he was able to make out Ziggy's voice, calling out for help at the top of his lungs. Hearing the fear in his friend's voice, he poured on the speed, cutting through an alley as he neared the point where it was all coming from.

Coming out of the other side of the alley, Dillon found himself staring at his car. The sounds were coming out of its trunk.

"Help me, anyone!" he could hear Ziggy screaming as he approached the vehicle and popped the trunk open. Ziggy's head instantly rose out of the back of the car, his eyes wide open as he looked around, struggling to breathe. The visual would have been almost comical were it not for the circumstances.

"Are you okay?" Dillon asked his friend as he helped him out of the trunk.

"Y-yeah," Ziggy answered, still visibly shaken. "I just have this intense fear of enclosed spaces."

"Take a minute to get yourself together," Dillon said. "Then we'll look for the others."

"Say," Ziggy asked, "where are we?"

"That's what I'd like to know," Dillon replied, taking a few steps in the direction of the nearest storefront. By its door lay a stack of the day's newspaper. Dillon took a copy. "Angel Grove, Sunday June 21st 2009," he said, looking at the date at the top of the page.

"Not funny, Dillon," Ziggy responded, his tone serious for a change.

"I'm not joking," Dillon said, handing him the paper.

"Gimme that," Ziggy told him, taking the paper. He kept his eyes on Dillon for a moment before looking down at the front page. His face blanched and his eyes widened.

"Ziggy, what is it?" Dillon asked, concerned by his strong reaction.

"Aww, fu-"

_To be continued...

* * *

_

_So, at that point, were we watching an episode of RPM, you have the black screen at the end pop up with Power Rangers RPM. Really happy with that ending. Now, tidbits on the chapter. I dropped a little something with respect to Aisha and these 'powers' that she has. That was never developed on the show, but it's something I decided to elaborate on over in Power Rangers: Countdown. Just a little continuity nod to those reading both stories (and for those who aren't, what are you waiting for?)_

_Next chapter, well it's called 'The Enemy Within'. Andros is in for the fight of his life. Billy, Justin and Ethan make a startling discovery, but will it come too late? And as we prepare to enter the most epic and vicious battle of the Rangers' lives, you won't believe how this one ends..._

_Reviews! Thanks to everyone who wrote in, as always. Pinkyy, ImaSupernaturalCSI, prophet144, crazedchick, Puggles Master, Original-Red-And-Pink-4ever, Warlord-Xana, Traitor-Hero, cloverbot, LoneWolfVampire13, BlueCrimson4Ever, SlothKeeper, the true elec & Grass King._

_Your comments..._

_First off, Ziggy thanks everyone for all the love. It's great to be able to include him and the rest of RPM (including Gem and Gemma) in this story._

_Time Force: They're not evil! When Time Force arrived, they'd mentioned leaving 2009 shortly with Jen and Wes, we just didn't know why. I'm sorry if I scared anyone with regards to Jen's fate. (Well, not really sorry since it made for a sneaky little cliffhanger)._

_Power down!_

_project314_


	13. The Enemy Within

_**Chapter 13  
**_

_**The Enemy Within  
**_

___(Original Posting Date: August 16th, 2009)_

* * *

_Author's note: If you've yet to sign up for Story Alerts for End of Days or the more general Author Alerts for yours truly, whatcha waiting for? You'll get an e-mail in your inbox everytime a new chapter goes up..._

_

* * *

_

The Ninja Storm, Overdrive and Jungle Fury Rangers were all gathered at Adam's dojo. After the discovery of Kendrix's body, they'd all been contacted and instructed to meet up and stay together, in the hopes that their greater numbers would deter any potential attackers.

Alpha 6 had been teleported to the dojo to wait for them. There was no hiding the fact that he was devastated by Kendrix's passing. He had assisted the Galaxy Rangers during their journey on Terra Venture and he had already mourned her passing once after her self-sacrifice on Rashon. For the most part, he remained quiet as he tried to make himself useful to the dojo's current guests.

The Rangers were mostly gathered in the training area, keeping quiet as they awaited further news on the developing situation. The last update they'd received had been to inform them that the missing Time Force Rangers were now all accounted for and on their way to the high school to join up with the Mystic Rangers and their allies. They'd all been relieved upon hearing their friends were safe, but worry and anxiety still lingered as they awaited word on Karone's whereabouts since she was apparently behind everything currently happening.

"I can't imagine what must be going through their minds," RJ pondered aloud as he looked in the direction of the Overdrive Rangers. They were huddled together in a corner, their expressions somber. Ever since he'd first seen them in San Angeles for Mack's funeral, they had been inseparable. As for RJ, he was sitting cross-legged on the mat-covered floor of the training room, with Casey, Cam and Blake. Jarrod and Camille stood alone in a corner, talking softly. All the others were together outside, getting some air and keeping watch.

"They didn't just lose a leader, he was the heart of their team," Casey said to no one in particular, his gaze fixed downward.

"I think they're ready for some serious payback," Blake whispered, having cast a discreet look over at them. "Can't say I blame them. If anyone came after Hunter, or anyone I cared for like family…"

"Let's not go there," Cam suggested, exchanging a glance with his teammate.

"I'm just saying," Blake continued, "we need to keep an eye on them, and the Wild Force and Galaxy Rangers. Make sure they don't do anything they'll regret or anything that could put us all in danger."

"Room for two more?" Jarrod asked as he and Camille sat down with the four Rangers.

"Is everything okay?" RJ asked, noticing Camille's somber expression.

"We need to talk," Jarrod whispered just loud enough for the others to hear him.

"What's going on?" Casey questioned, frowning slightly, looking first to Jarrod, then Camille.

"During the first Beast War," Camille started to explain, somewhat comforted by Jarrod's hand, which rested on her shoulder, "the Pai Zhuq defeated Dai Shi and all his followers. Before the battle began, I felt, deep within me, than we were not going to win the war and that following Dai Shi could only lead to destruction or capture. I was right, and that knowledge allowed me to walk away unscathed, to bide my time until Dai Shi's eventual return."

"Similarly, on the eve of the last Beast War, I sensed a shift when Jarrod was released from Dai Shi's control. It's why I tried to convince him to join the Rangers in their final stand. Good was meant to win once again, with his help. Again, my instincts led to my survival."

"Now, before we left Ocean Bluff to go to San Angeles, I felt it again." Camille paused and her eyes locked with Jarrod's for a moment. She looked to the others, her eyes tearing up, and continued in a sad tone. "The final war has begun. Already, three of your numbers have fallen, and before this is all over, every last one of you will share that fate, along with all of us who will stand by you."

Camille bit her lip as a tear rolled down her cheek. As Jarrod took her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze, the others processed the information, at a loss for words. They'd all heard about Maya's dreams and the warning issued by Loyax. This, however, was much more tangible than a dream.

"Why wait this long to come to us with this?" RJ asked, looking at Jarrod and Camille in turn.

"I told Camille to keep this to herself, until we could confirm her 'feeling'" Jarrod answered, looking at her protectively. "Doing otherwise would have been reckless, perhaps precipitating what she is sensing will happen."

"Then again, maybe Cole and Kendrix would still be alive if she had said something," Blake stated, not making eye contact with the others.

"And maybe if they'd said something, they would have played right into the plans of whoever's behind this and we'd be worse off," Casey intervened on behalf of his friends. "We know now. That's all that matters. So, what did you find out?"

"When we were told about Cole's death, I teleported myself to the docks," Camille recalled. "The Lightspeed and SPD Rangers were just arriving to examine the scene. They established that Cole had been dropped from the sky. Mack could have been killed by anyone, for any reason. But Cole's death shows that it's not a regular human who's behind this and that Rangers are targets."

"Can you tell us anything else?" Cam asked Camille.

"When we first arrived in Angel Grove," she answered sadly, "I was drawn to a rock quarry. I think that's where it's going to happen."

Before they could say anything else, Shane rushed into the dojo, drawing all their attention.

"They found Karone!" he called out. "She's at the quarry, fighting Andros. We gotta go."

RJ felt a knot form in his stomach at the mention of the quarry. Looking at the others gathered around him, he realized the words had hit them just as hard. As they quickly and silently got to their feet, the Overdrive Rangers walked over to join them and Shane in the center of the room.

"It's time for some payback," Will claimed solemnly, clenching his fists at his side. RJ felt a chill run up his spine when he saw the thirst for vengeance in the Black Overdrive Ranger's eyes and he shuddered when he saw that his friends all had the same look.

* * *

"Karone, why are you doing this?" Andros asked his sister, ducking under a swing from her staff. For the last few minutes, he'd been trying his best to dodge her attacks, resolved not to go on the offensive unless she left him with no other choice. He already had a few scrapes on his hands and his face and his jacket was torn in a few spots.

"Stop calling me that and fight me, Red Ranger!" she shouted out in anger, thrusting her weapon in his direction, its sharp tip neatly slicing the material of his vest yet again.

Finding himself dangerously close to the cliff's edge, Andros realized that his only chance of saving both himself and Karone was to neutralize her. Outmatched as he was, he knew there was only one way of evening up the odds slightly.

"Let's rocket!" he called out before he entered the numeric sequence that activated his powers on his Astromorpher's keypad. His body was instantly covered by the protective armor of his suit, just in time as Karone fired off a bolt of energy in his direction. As it connected with his suit, he only perceived a mild sting, a fraction of what he would have felt unmorphed.

Deciding it was time to turn the tide of the battle, Andros rushed his sister, summoning his Spiral Saber. Sparks flew as the two blades clashed loudly together, both warriors giving it everything they had.

"You know this can only end in one way," Karone told him, blocking an overhead slash of his saber with the length of her staff.

"I'm not going to let that happen, Karone, not again," Andros vowed as she dropped into a crouch and swept him off his feet.

"Do you even know how much blood I have on my hands, Andros? Or do you not even care?" she asked, her loudening voice filled with rage as she aimed her staff at him. "No, you had to be the hero, my brother saving me from myself. Well wake up, Andros. Kendrix, Mack and Cole are dead and you're all going to join them. That's my legacy, brother. So tell me now, was I worth saving?"

"Karone," Andros started to say, tears blurring his vision as he got back to his feet, "don't do this."

"Shut up!" she ordered him, firing another bolt of energy at him. Using his saber's blade, Andros deflected it, sending the bolt crashing harmlessly onto some rocks. Karone stayed on the move, firing off bigger and more powerful bolts, each one easily redirected by Andros.

As he kept deflecting her shots, Andros knew he was running out of time. His teammates had given him a head start, but soon they, and other Rangers, most assuredly, would start arriving. There was no guarantee she would survive that fight, especially if some of the other Rangers were fueled by a desire for revenge for their fallen friends. He needed to take her out now, for her own sake.

"Alright Karone," he called out, "if it's a fight you want you want, then that's what you're going to get." He ran toward her, his sword held high in front of him. He felt a cold shiver when he saw the satisfied smile on her lips.

* * *

Billy, Justin and Ethan had arrived at the Megaship some time before D.E.C.A. had located Karone. By then, they had already made their way to the lab. Billy and Justin had summarily examined Kendrix's body. There hadn't seemed to be a struggle which had led them to the conclusion that either she'd known her attacker or she hadn't seen them coming and that she had most likely died from a stab wound to the heart. That had been all but confirmed when they'd found a knife on the floor. The blade itself, covered in blood, bore a series of markings on it, lending more credence to the ongoing theory that Mack's death and now Kendrix's had a mystical element to them.

While they'd been busy looking over the body, Ethan had headed straight for the lab's computers. He drew up the video feeds of Karone exiting the lab, covered in what could only have been Kendrix's blood. There was no evidence that the feed had been tampered with and the time stamp showed that her departure had occurred in the minutes that had most likely followed the murder.

Additionally, although the cameras had been disabled at the moment of Kendrix's death, the system logs had shown that the lab door had only opened twice between the moment she had arrived in the lab and the moment when Maya and Cassie had arrived to find her dead. Clearly, the second time had been when Karone had left and the first, apparently minutes earlier, had undoubtedly been when she had arrived.

After checking the ship's systems, Ethan had gone on to look through Kendrix's files, only to find out that a virus had apparently wiped her system clean of all information. Never one to back down from a challenge presented to him by a computer, Ethan had set out to recover the information, stubbornly persisting every time a dead end had come up.

The three Rangers were now alone on the Megaship, as the Space and Galaxy Rangers had gone off to join Andros at the quarry. Billy and Justin were busy looking through the various notes and clippings that Kendrix had left beside her computer, where Ethan was busily typing away.

"It all fits together," Justin concluded as he looked at a paper where Kendrix had jotted down some notes regarding Maya's dream and the significance of Rykon's presence. "Just like Rykon, Astronema passed herself off as a friend of the Rangers, waiting for the right moment to show her true colors. The timing seems to work since it's the tenth anniversary of Dark Specter's fall and of her own defeat. Plus, she's fighting Andros right now."

Billy was looking at the pictures of the carvings on Mack's chest. On one of them, Kendrix had left a post-it note drawing attention to the fact that dark spells were enhanced when the markings were made on a living being. She had underlined the word living. It didn't take Billy long to figure out what she had meant, as he quickly realized that the cuts on Mack's chest had been made after his death. Someone had wanted them to think Mack's death had something to do with the mystical when it hadn't.

"It doesn't fit, Justin," Billy finally responded as he handed him the pictures. "Kendrix found out we were being misled with the whole mystical angle. Whoever killed her managed to wipe all the data on her computer yet they left these documents which clearly incriminate Karone."

"And for the record," Ethan slipped in, looking away from the computer's screen for a moment, "they knew what they were doing."

"There was something on there they didn't want us to see," Billy mused, shaking his head as he tried to make sense of what little information they had.

"Wait a minute," Justin said, setting the pictures down. "If Kendrix wrote down everything important, don't you think she'd print out anything relevant that was on her computer, to be sure a hard copy existed?"

Before Billy could say anything, Justin ran off to the printer which was set up on the other side of the lab. As Billy and Ethan looked at him expectantly, he showed them a few sheets of paper he held in his hand right.

"It's an e-mail," Justin declared. "It seems Kendrix sent that picture of the marking to people she knew and this is a reply."

"Well, what does it say?" Ethan asked, his attention no longer on the computer as he'd given up on recovering the lost information.

"Nothing much, actually," Justin answered, frowning as he handed Ethan the sheets. "But there are two internet links on here."

Ethan quickly typed in the first link listed. Billy and Justin came to his side just as a webpage loaded up in front of them. It was a picture of a carving just like the one that had been found on Mack.

"This isn't even a crime scene photo," Justin commented as he looked at the screen, mildly confused.

"Oh no," Billy whispered as everything fell in place in his mind. The sudden appearance of Mack's body in the alley, the not-so-mystical origins of the markings on his chest, Cole's drop from the sky, the circumstances of Kendrix's death, it all made perfect sense.

Even as Ethan started entering the second link, Billy brought up his communicator and pressed the dial, only to find out that he couldn't get through to anyone.

"D.E.C.A., patch me through to Andros, Jason or Tommy," he ordered the ship's systems. No response came, only silence.

"Billy, what is it?" Justin asked as the second page loaded up.

"Karone didn't do this," Billy claimed, urgency in his voice.

"Damn it!" Ethan yelled out, drawing their attention to the screen, where the presence of a single name confirmed Billy's suspicions. The two younger Rangers didn't need to hear any more to arrive at the same conclusion.

As they ran out of the lab, Billy could only pray they wouldn't be too late.

* * *

"I'm going to kill you all!" Karone yelled as she fired off another energy bolt. She let out a frustrated scream when Andros deflected it with his Spiral Saber, careful to aim it away from her.

Hoping to take advantage of her outburst, Andros launched himself into the air and, coming down, he swung his blade, knocking her staff out of her hands. He then swept her off her feet, landing her on her back. Before she could move, he straddled her stomach and pinned her arms down with his hands.

"Let go of me!" she ordered him, trying to throw him off. Her voice was desperate and tears were flowing from her eyes, something Andros hadn't seen when she'd been firing at him from a distance.

"Karone, what's going on?" he asked her, his tone firm as he kept her down.

"She said you'd all die because of me," Karone told him as her thrashing became less forceful, "like all those people died in the crossfire when I served Dark Specter of my own free will."

"Who told you this?" Andros questioned her, pained as he saw the anguish in her teary eyes.

"This voice. I've been hearing it ever since Mack's funeral, and then after I found Kendrix's body," Karone answered, falling apart. "Please Andros, you have to kill me. It's the only way you'll be safe from Astronema. Please."

Andros powered down and helped Karone back up, holding her tightly, fighting back his own tears as best as he could even as she cried in his arms. As she slowly calmed down, her appearance changed once again as she reverted to the young woman he'd grown so attached to over the last ten years.

"I don't want to hurt anyone else," she said softly between sobs.

"And you won't," he whispered into her ear. "Astronema's gone, you're safe. I promise."

Looking to the side, Andros saw that they were being watched from the quarry. He walked his sister over to his Galaxy Glider and sat her down in front of him before they made their way down from the cliff, landing amidst the Rangers that had already arrived.

"Andros?" Ashley asked, concerned when he and Karone had stepped off the glider.

"It's okay," he answered, nodding at his wife, then at Zhane, who stood next to her.

"Okay?" he heard a voice ask behind him. He turned around and found himself face to face with Will, who stood in front of the other Overdrive Rangers. "Your sister killed Mack. You call that okay, Andros?"

"She didn't do it, Will," Andros replied, walking up to him, staring the Black Overdrive Ranger in the eyes.

"What? So she told you she didn't do it?" Will continued, his voice dripping with contempt. "Then I guess it must be true."

"It is true," Andros stated, emphasizing the words.

"I'm sorry, Andros, but the proof all says otherwise," Taylor said coldly from where she stood with the rest of the Wild Force Rangers.

"Someone's been toying with her. She didn't do anything!" Andros claimed, turning to look at her. From the corner of his eye, he saw Will and the rest of the Overdrive Rangers take a step forward, a gesture that was imitated by Taylor and the Wild Force Rangers. "No one's going to lay a finger on my sister," he swore even as Zhane, Ashley, TJ, Carlos and Cassie all surrounded Karone. Next to the Overdrive Rangers, Leo nodded at Andros before he and the Galaxy Rangers silently joined the Space Rangers to stand by their former teammate.

"Stand down, Will," Andros warned, Leo at his back.

"You're gonna have to make me," Will answered, unwavering, his fists balling up.

As the tension kept rising and as everyone's attention was focused on the confrontation between Andros and Will, no one noticed the arrival of those who had been staying in Trini's home. It was only when Kira tapped into the latent powers of her dino gem to let out a deafening scream that they became aware of their presence.

"Well, now that we have your attention, stand down, all of you," Tommy ordered sternly as he made his way through the cluster of Rangers to stand between Andros and Will.

* * *

It had taken Billy, Justin and Ethan some time to get out of the Megaship. Aside from D.E.C.A. being offline, it seemed like someone had managed to remotely access the ship's systems in order to keep the three of them trapped onboard.

When they were finally outside, they were disconcerted though not surprised to find out that Justin's car wouldn't start, its' engine having been tampered with since their arrival.

The three Rangers started running in the direction of the quarry, hoping for the best yet expecting the worst.

* * *

"I know the losses we've experienced over the last week have affected some more than others," Tommy said, taking a moment to make eye contact with the Overdrive, Wild Force and Galaxy Rangers. "Mack, Cole and Kendrix weren't just a part of Zordon's legacy, they were also very close friends for their teammates and for those whose lives they touched in some way."

"But we can't afford to let their deaths divide us," he continued, loudly enough to be heard by those standing farthest from him. "It isn't what they'd want."

"Actually, if they had the choice," Will interjected sarcastically, "I'm pretty sure they'd just want to still be alive."

Tommy shot him a glare before continuing. "That's enough, Will. Andros claims that Karone isn't behind this, and I believe him. He's always put his duties as a Ranger before his own personal interests and we owe it to him to trust his instincts."

Will's head dropped slightly following the scolding he'd just received. He seemed to relax his stance, just like his teammates behind him. The sudden drop in tension didn't go unnoticed as it seemed that, gradually, everyone else seemed to be more at ease.

"Now," Tommy continued, "so far, we know that whoever's behind this has targeted Rangers who were alone, more vulnerable. There's also a possibility that these Rangers posed a threat, that Kendrix, for example might have discovered something she wasn't meant to. Billy, Justin and Ethan, who aren't with us right now, are looking into that. That means that this enemy doesn't want us to discover their identity and that our best chance of holding them off is to stick together and not leave anyone unaccounted for or alone."

"It's up to us to watch each others' backs," he said. "If we stick together in this, no one else has to die. As one, we're invincible."

Around him, looks of anxiety and fear turned to expressions of determination and hope. Near the back of the group of Rangers, he saw his own friends and teammates nodding and smiling at him. He then turned to Taylor and her teammates, who did the same thing.

Tommy turned back to look at Will, who was still looking down. "What do you say, Will?" he asked.

"Watch each others' backs, huh?" the Black Overdrive Ranger asked him, raising his head to look Tommy in the eyes.

"Yeah," Tommy said, smiling comfortingly.

"There's only one problem with that plan," Will stated.

"I know," Tommy responded. "Bigger target, it makes us vulnerable to a big attack."

"Nah, that's not it," Will said, shaking his head. "Who's gonna watch your front?"

Tommy didn't have time to react or respond to the comment as he felt a sudden and excruciating pain in his chest. Looking down, even as his vision started to blur, he saw the hilt of the blade that had been plunged into his heart and heard the panicked cries and screams of those standing nearby. Raising his head again, the last thing he was able to make out was the smirk on Will's face.

"The legendary Tommy Oliver," Will mocked as he pulled the dagger free, Tommy's lifeless body falling to the ground. "Somehow I was expecting more."

_To be continued...

* * *

_

_Okay, let's get this out of the way right now, because I know I'm totally getting flamed for the ending. Tommy is indeed dead. I love him, he's one of my favorite Rangers of all time, really, but he is indeed gone. In a way, this is one of the greatest blows that could have come to the Rangers. Tommy is a legend, and his loss is both unexpected and tragic. Now, I know all of you have your favorites and Tommy's fate might turn some of you off from reading any more of this story. If that's the case, I'd like to thank you for keeping up with the story so far and for the support and feedback. If you're sticking around regardless, I also thank you, and I guarantee this is going to be an unforgettable ride, right through the final reveal of the final chapter, which I can already tell you will be a shocker in and of itself..._

_Also, I'm confirming Karone's total complete innocence. I just can't resist a good blindside, as you've all realized by now. Plus, I didn't cheat. The clues to the real killers' identities were all there, even if the conclusion is mindblowing..._

_Coming up in the coming chapters. Well, between the geniuses' discoveries and the final reveal, you might be able to piece together what happened with Mack, Cole & Kendrix. How did Mack's body suddenly appear in an alley? How did Cole drop from the Sky? What kind of info would Carolyn Picketts send Kendrix? Who was able to sneak up on Kendrix and toy with Karone unseen? But why did they do it all? That will be revealed when an old friend makes an appearance, probably in Chapter 16. __Also, this is supposedly the Rangers' final battle, but will the addition of the R.P.M. Rangers to the mix be able to change destiny?_

_It all starts next chapter, when the Rangers find themselves in the fight of their lives. Stay tuned for Chapter 14, Rangers Gone Psycho..._

_Feedback!_

_Thanks to Pinkyy, SmartGurl9552, ImaSupernaturalCSI, LoneWolfVampire13, prophet144, 100TenMillion, crazedchick, davesamo, hbkeezy92, Original-Red-And-Pink-4ever, SlothKeeper, Puggles Master, the true elec, cloverbot, red neo ranger, Traitor-Hero, Grass King, Red shadow Ranger, RockRedGenesis & gekofan776_

_prophet144 mentioned Aisha's abilities and Tommy's lack thereof. Here's the gist of it. In my own continuity, when Aisha ended up in Africa she was trained in honing certain abilities by Ashalla, abilities that would connect her to the land. So, Africa itself, the animals. It wasn't expected, but she was also able to use that ability to connect to the morphing grid._

_hbkeezy92 mentioned the connection between End of Days and Countdown, my other ongoing epic. There's actually another chapter of that going up in a few hours (what can I say? productive week-end), which closes up the story's second, insane arc. You've got a coma, captures, big unmorphed fight scene, badass reappearances from secondary villains. Big stuff there for those reading, including, in the chapter going up later tonight, some very interesting content with Astronema that echoes some of the content of the Andros/Karone scenes in this chapter, as well as the identity (my take on it anyway) of the Phantom Ranger, who will be in End of Days (unless he already is)! Craziness! Check it out. End of shameless plug._

_SlothKeeper asked which came first, the chicken or the egg. No wait, that's not it. Oh, SPD or RPM? My take on that is that RPM happens in the next few years. Then, when it ends, since the world needs rebuilding, we wind up with really cool places like Newtech City... So, RPM, then SPD._

_the true elec mentioned that Time Force seemed to change their minds a bit too easily. Yeah, can't really say he's wrong on that one. The real goal of that scene was just to cement that Wes couldn't just send Jen away. It achieved that. Plus, I got to screw with everyone's heads, make you think Time Force was evil..._

_RockRedGenesis, that gives you your answers on Karone. She's been toyed with ever since Mack's funeral. Also, this story has a lot of mileage left to go, so no worries there..._

_So, as always, thanks for reading & reviewing. You guys & gals are the best readers a writer can ask for!_

_Until next time,_

_Power down!_


	14. Rangers Gone Psycho

_**Chapter 14  
**_

_**Rangers Gone Psycho  
**_

___(Original Posting Date: September 9th, 2009)_

* * *

_"So there'll be another way. Mack will figure out a way to come back, or we'll find a way to bring him back. It's not over, Conner. Deep inside, I know it. We just need to have hope."_

_Kira Ford, Peace, Love & Woe (Chapter 10)_

_

* * *

_

Time seemed to stop when Tommy's body hit the ground. The man considered by many to be the greatest Ranger ever to serve was no more. A few feet away, his killer, Will, of the Overdrive Rangers, stood with his dagger still in hand, blade dripping crimson droplets onto the sand.

Jason's eyes, much like those of many around him, were glued to Tommy's prone form. There had to be a logical explanation to all this. Rangers didn't just kill Rangers. Will had to have discovered that some force of evil was impersonating him. His best friend couldn't be gone. There was no way.

But, as he kept looking at the body, he realized that there was no denying the truth. Tommy Oliver was dead.

Feeling someone's eyes on him, Jason looked up. Will was intently staring at him, his head slightly tilted to the side as he smirked, fully conscious of what he had just done. He'd known that killing Tommy would prove to be the greatest imaginable blow to all the assembled Rangers, that it would shake them all to their core.

Amidst the screams and panicked cries, a voice coming from beside him eventually managed to pierce through.

"Tommy!" he heard Kimberly cry out, her voice panicked as she pushed her way through the throngs of Rangers separating her from the man she had given up so much for.

"Kim!" Jason called out after her, unable to stop her in time. Looking to the side, he saw that Kat had fallen to her knees and Aisha was crouching next to her, holding her tightly.

He started following after Kimberly, sensing that Rocky and Adam were both behind him. The original Pink Ranger was letting no one hold her back and she kept on calling Tommy's name, each time with a little more urgency and despair in her voice.

Even as he pushed past friends and allies, Jason kept his attention on Will, who continued to fix him with his cold icy stare. Breaking eye contact, Jason noticed that Will's teammates all still stood behind him. All except for Ronny.

"Kimberly!" he yelled out at the top of his lungs as she finally made it past the Wild Force Rangers. Everyone had slowly eased away from Will, trying to put as much distance as possible between themselves and him. As Kimberly broke into a run to cover the few feet separating her from Tommy, Jason's peripheral vision caught sight of a blurry figure moving at an incredible speed, right in her direction. Going from Rocky and Adam's warning screams, he knew he hadn't been the only one to notice.

But Kimberly didn't, nor did she seem to register their warnings. When the figure slammed into her, it was as if she'd been hit at full speed by an eighteen-wheeler. She was thrown into the air, limbs flailing around like she was a rag doll. She didn't scream, didn't cry out, most likely having been rendered unconscious by the impact. Her body crashed against the quarry's rock wall with the same force she had been hit with, with a sickening crack that they all heard.

* * *

Sky looked on in disbelief as Kimberly's body landed on the ground in a cloud of dust and sand. He could feel Syd, pressed up against him, trembling as she took in the display herself. He squeezed her shaking hand as he fought back his own tears, reeling from the loss of his former teammate, hoping that by some miracle, she would get back to her feet.

But he knew there was no way a human could survive that. Remembering the team he was responsible for, Sky pushed his grief aside and looked back in Will's direction. The Black Overdrive Ranger was also looking at Kimberly's body, a sinister smile on his lips. Ronny now stood next to him, pleased with herself as she assessed the results of her actions.

"She loved him so much," she said sarcastically. "Well, at least now she'll be with him forever."

She and Will both started to laugh. Behind them, Dax, Rose and Tyzonn did the same as they started advancing. Soon, the five Rangers stood in a line, with all eyes on them. The darkness and evil in their eyes were unmistakable much like their glee in the face of the current situation.

Sky took a step forward, placing himself in front of Syd, swearing to himself that he wouldn't let any harm come to her, or to the rest of B-Squad for that matter. His decision had put them in harm's way and he'd never forgive himself if something happened to one of them as a result.

Will noticed his movements and shifted his attention to him. Despite the heat, Sky felt a shiver run through his body. Bridge had told him about the Overdrive Rangers, an outstanding group of individuals. Nothing like what he was seeing now.

"Thrax sends his salutations," Will announced, his eyes locked on Sky.

"We destroyed Thrax, Will," Bridge replied. He stood next to Sky, having also placed himself strategically in front of his squad in order to protect them. His voice was wavering as he too had been taken aback by the two deaths which had just occurred.

"Details," Tyzonn said icily as he raised his arm and pointed it in their direction. Using his innate powers, he let it transform into liquid mercury, shaping it into a lance that extended forward, aimed at Sky's chest.

Sky didn't budge, knowing that jumping out of the way would only place Syd in danger, since she was standing behind him. Instead, he focused his thoughts and waved his hand in the air, creating a force field in front of himself and the rest of the Rangers gathered near him. Luckily for them all, when it counted, the force field held strong.

* * *

Billy, Ethan and Justin all made it to the quarry just as Sky blocked off Tyzonn's attack. They'd heard the screams and yells as they'd made their final approach and known that they'd been too late.

"Oh no, Dr. O," Ethan said, pointing in the direction of his mentor's body, drawing Justin's attention to it. Billy didn't react to Ethan's comment, having noticed Kimberly's body first.

"We're too late," Billy said, oblivious to the chaos around them as he then took in the sight of Tommy's body near the Overdrive Rangers.

"Shake it off, guys," Justin ordered the other two, "our friends need us."

Even though he felt the sting of tears in his eyes, Billy nodded once before he and Ethan followed Justin to rejoin their friends and allies.

* * *

"You know, this is getting real boring, real fast," Will commented as he spun his dagger in his hand. He and his teammates were standing still, eyeing the gathered Rangers with a hunger for revenge in their eyes. "I'm ready to do some real damage."

"I'll second that," Dax added, his normal enthusiasm tainted by his turn to the side of darkness.

"Let's have some fun then," Ronny declared before she blurred out of sight. Following her lead, Rose turned herself invisible, Dax launched himself high into the air and Tyzonn charged forward.

Adam knew he needed to step up. Tommy was down, Jason was shaken. Everyone was. This was what the Overdrive Rangers had been aiming for. Kill their friends, send them in a panic that they wouldn't recover from in time. Keep them all off their game.

"Everyone, split up in teams!" Adam ordered loudly enough to get everyone's attention. "Two teams on each Ranger, take them alive! We might be able to bring them back!"

Adam had second thoughts with regards to that last statement when he saw the look Will was fixing him with. The hatred and the thirst for revenge were pure and unwavering.

"Let's do this, bro," Will said, advancing on him.

* * *

"What's going on here, Ty?" Xander asked his former ally, desperate for answers as he watched him, trying to break free from the mystical force field he and the other Mystic Rangers had him trapped in. Bridge stood by his side while the SPD Rangers kept watch to make sure none of his teammates would try to interfere.

"I'll tell you what, Xander," Tyzonn said, flashing him a sinister smile. "You tell your friends to let me go, and I promise to make it end real quick for all of you."

"Fine," Xander replied, feeling his anger rising inside of him. "Have it your way, then. We can keep this field up all day."

The Mercury Overdrive Ranger let out a primal scream as he lashed out against the force field. Realizing his efforts were in vain, Tyzonn returned to pacing around his mystical prison, like a caged animal. He came to a stop in front of Leanbow and a smile crossed his lips.

"Koragg," he began, bringing his hand to a rest, palm facing outward, inches away from the force field, "free me and help me destroy them all."

"I am the Knight Wolf no more, Mercurian," the wizard stated. "Now stand down, so that we may help free you from the force controlling you."

"Well, can't blame a guy for trying," Tyzonn replied with a shrug. "It would have been great to have the great Koragg bring about the final destruction of the Rangers by our side. But if you're not going to be with us, well, I'd rather not run the risk of having you interfere with what's coming."

The hand Tyzonn had been holding up near the force field turned into liquid mercury once again, reshaping into a thin blade with razor sharp edges. Leanbow flinched slightly as he saw Tyzonn thrust it forward, trusting that, as before, his attempt to get through the field would be met with failure.

The makeshift blade pierced through the force field however, shattering it in its entirety on impact, then through flesh. Leanbow collapsed on the ground, mortally wounded and, as Nick and Udonna rushed to the sides of the fallen warrior, Tyzonn turned back to Xander and Bridge.

"You didn't think we'd take on the Mystic Force without doing our homework first, did you?" he asked, pulling his collar to the side, showing them a marking on the side of his neck.

"That symbol makes him immune to our spells!" Daggeron called out as he placed himself in front of Leanbow, Udonna and Nick. "We can't contain him, or the others, if they're also marked."

"That might be the case," Sky shouted as he waved his hand, creating a new force field to keep Tyzonn from striking at Daggeron, "but it won't help him against our genetic powers."

* * *

When Adam had ordered the Rangers to split up in teams and group up against the Overdrive Rangers, Carter had signaled his teammates to join the Space and Galaxy Rangers. He'd figured that between the loss of Kendrix and Karone's weakened emotional state, this would be where the Lightspeed Rangers would prove most useful.

Rose was taking full advantage of her powers of invisibility, keeping them all on their toes. The chaos and the noise surrounding them made it impossible to locate her simply by listening to her voice or her movements. For the time being, their only strategy was to try and keep her at bay.

"You know, I never expected that poor little Karone would be so easy to break," Rose said sweetly. Even though he couldn't see her, Carter was convinced she was smiling gleefully as she spoke the words. He looked down to the sand, hoping perhaps to see footprints that would give away her location.

"Don't listen to her," Ashley whispered in Karone's ear as she held her. "Just block her out."

"Your mind games aren't going to work anymore, Rose," Andros called out. He and Zhane stood within arm's length of Ashley and his sister while TJ, Carlos and Cassie were grouped up nearby.

"Well, it was fun while it lasted," Rose continued. "But I don't need to play games anymore. We all know that the only reason Kendrix died is because Maya made her team come down to Earth. Had it not been for that, she'd still be on Mirinoi, working in her lab, alive."

Carter briefly shifted his attention to Maya. Leo, Kai, Damon and Mike surrounded her, looking around warily for any sign of Rose.

"Why'd you kill her?" Leo asked, not even trying to mask the anger in his voice.

"She figured it out is why," Rose explained. The only thing Carter could tell was that she wasn't standing still, since that could have potentially given away her position. "Maya's vision, enemies masquerading as friends, she found out it was us. It was a bit too soon for our liking. Plus, some actress sent her an e-mail linking Dax to that 'mystical' symbol we carved on Mack's chest."

"Why are you doing this?" Ashley asked.

"Wrong question, Ashley," Rose snickered. "What you should be asking me is who's going to die next."

They all tensed following those words, eyes darting left and right as they tried to find some clue that would tell them where Rose was.

"Cover Maya," Carter ordered his team after he exchanged a look with Andros. Since her premonitory powers had allowed them to label her as a potential target, it made sense that Rose would try and take her out. The other Lightspeed Rangers all followed him as they quickly yet cautiously made their way over to the Galaxy Rangers.

"How valiant," Rose commended them, still unseen. "This display of selflessness and courage warms my icy heart. Still, I must say, well played. Protect the seer, the one you see as the most strategic target."

The circle surrounding Maya became tighter, making it impossible for anyone to attack her. Meanwhile, the Space Rangers stayed in position near Karone.

"But what is it that makes a target strategic?" she mused aloud. "What is it that makes someone powerful? Is it raw power or power over someone else?"

"Carlos!" TJ screamed out from where he stood behind Karone.

"Dana, Ryan, you're with me!" Carter yelled out as he ran over to the Space Rangers and Karone.

Reaching the small group, it was immediately clear that there was nothing they could do. Carlos was lying on the ground, facedown. His eyes were hollow and blood streamed down from a wound on his neck onto the sand.

"She's trying to get to the Space Rangers," Dana whispered to him. "His power over them is in their bond."

"No," Carter answered, finally understanding what the Pink Overdrive Ranger had been hinting at. "This isn't about Carlos' bond with the Space Rangers. Rose killed him to get to someone else."

* * *

The moment teams had begun splitting up to take on the Overdrive Rangers, the Jungle Fury and Ninja Storm Rangers had instinctively sought each other out.

Even before Ronny had managed to arrive in their midst, they'd established that their first priority was to keep Fran safe, as she was the only civilian with them at the quarry. To that end, Dominic, Blake and Hunter had split off from the others to ensure her safety.

Thanks to her enhanced speed, Ronny was faring exceptionally well against the combined might and skill of her adversaries. All her attacks connected and all attempts made to subdue her or take her down failed.

RJ had been thrown back half-a-dozen feet having been on the receiving end of a strong kick to his chest. As he rose back to his feet, aided by Dustin, he took a moment to look around to see how the other teams were faring. He saw the bodies of Leanbow and Carlos on the ground. He saw the Overdrive Rangers fighting more and more confidently as the Rangers opposing them seemed to become more and more panicked. Things were not going well.

Bringing his attention back to their own confrontation, he saw Shane charge Ronny. The Yellow Overdrive Ranger grabbed him by the arm when he was close enough and, using his own momentum against him, she spun him in an arc and launched him at Tori, Cam and Camille, taking the three of them down. That left his students and Jarrod alone against her.

By the time RJ and Dustin joined the others, Ronny had shifted her attention onto Theo. RJ could see the young Jaguar Master start to panic as Ronnie eyed him, smiling darkly.

"Call to the beast inside, unleash the jaguar!" he called out, summoning his animal spirit.

"Theo, no!" RJ called out, too late, as his student's animal spirit started to materialize. In his current panicked state, Theo didn't have nearly enough focus to fully control his spirit's actions.

As the jaguar surged forward in Ronny's direction, she streaked away, leaving a wide-eyed Lily standing directly in its path, frozen in place.

Without any second thoughts, RJ launched himself in Lily's direction. Deep inside, he knew there was no way he'd reach her in time, but he still had to try.

"Nooo!" he screamed as the jaguar spirit passed him, continuing on its course, unwavering and out of control.

Theo's animal spirit was only fractions of a second away from Lily when Jarrod tackled her, taking her out of its path. Just as they hit the ground, it vanished into thin air.

As he turned around to check on Theo, RJ's heart sank. While everyone's attention had been focused on Lily, they'd forgotten about Ronny. She was standing behind Theo, holding him in a chokehold. The Jaguar Master wasn't trying to break free. Instead, his arms just dangled at his sides.

As Lily screamed out her boyfriend's name, Ronny let his body fall to the ground.

* * *

"You killed Cole," Taylor seethed as the Wild Force and Time Force Rangers warily circled Dax. When the Blue Overdrive Ranger had landed amidst them, they had tried to grab him. Considering their advantage in numbers, that should have proven an easy feat. However, with his background as a stuntman and his martial art skills, he had managed to evade them easily so far.

Dax didn't answer right away, instead he simply smiled at her. "You should have been there," he recalled, seemingly savoring the memory. "That stupid dog just kept barking and Cole was freaking out. I decided to mess around with him a little, jumped around. Then he called you, and well, you already know what comes after that."

"You sick bastard," Taylor said slowly, the sounds of Cole's screams echoing in her mind.

"Now, now," Dax chided her playfully. "Watch your language. Wouldn't want to upset the younger ones."

Quicker than any of them could react, he caught Trip by his collar. The Xybrian tried his best to break free from his grip but was unable to do so.

"No," Taylor whispered, unable to keep herself from shaking as Dax stared at her, amused. He was going to do the same thing to Trip that he had done to Cole.

"Why don't you pick on someone bigger, tough guy," Eric threatened as he easily brushed Dax away from Trip. Too easily, it seemed to Taylor.

"Alright, Myers," Dax answered, grabbing Eric by his jacket. Using the genetic abilities that Andrew Hartford had given him upon joining the Overdrive Rangers, Dax launched himself into the air, holding on to Eric, before anyone could get to them.

"Eric!" Taylor screamed as she saw them both go higher and higher. She could see them struggling. Their ascent eventually slowed until they seemed to be suspended in the sky. Dax then shoved Eric away from him before he began his descent, fully in control of his body. Eric on the other hand, was flailing wildly as he fell, faster and faster.

After a few moments, she saw him summon his morpher, which materialized on his arm in a flash of light. Relief flooded over her as she saw him go through the motions of his morph. Hitting the ground as the Quantum Ranger with the powers of his suit protecting him, there was no doubt in her mind that Eric would survive.

But something was wrong. He didn't morph. And he tried it yet again, but without result.

As Eric continued his plunge in the distance, Taylor found herself running forward. Only she could save him, she realized as she pulled out her Growl Phone. All she needed to do was morph and soar to his rescue before he hit the ground.

"Wild Access!" she called out, activating the device as she kept running, hearing Eric's screams get louder as he came down. She threw herself forward, expecting her suit would materialize and allow her to fly to her boyfriend to stop his fall. Only, her suit never materialized and she landed painfully on the ground, scraping her hands and forearms as she lost her grip on her Growl Phone.

"No!" she cried out hopelessly, seeing Eric fall helplessly, screaming, his voice terrified just like Cole's had been the previous night.

She got to her feet, wanting nothing more than to go to him, even though she knew there was no way he could have survived. Looking down at her Growl Phone, it hit her. They'd managed to disable all their morphers.

"Oh no," she whispered to herself, turning back just in time to catch Dax looking at her, amused, even as he ducked under a strong swing from Danny before he blocked a kick from Jen.

And although Taylor's heart told her to go to Eric, she knew that now, more than ever, she needed to go stand by her team. Resigned to what needed to be done, she broke into a run to rejoin them as they desperately tried to pin Dax down.

* * *

"Now that had to hurt," Will mocked as he nodded once towards the spot where Eric had landed, breaking free from Conner and Rocky, who had momentarily managed to restrain him. "Maybe not as much as Carlos' death though, what do you think?"

Adam growled at the Black Overdrive Ranger's final comment as he threw himself in his direction. Having personally chosen Carlos to become his replacement after he'd decided to leave, he'd always felt responsible for his successor. There was no doubt in his mind that they'd targeted Carlos to get to him, and now he was going to make them all pay.

"If you have a problem with me, then fight me," Adam ordered Will, launching himself in a spin kick that Will easily ducked under. "Leave my friends out of this."

"I would," Will replied, blocking the first of a series of punches, "but where would the fun be in doing that?" He dropped down to the ground and swept Adam off his feet, making him fall back amidst the Dino Rangers.

Will got back to his feet and pulled the blood-soaked dagger he'd used on Tommy out of his pocket. "Now, where's vision girl?" he asked, turning away from Adam. While Will had been busy fighting the combined forces of the Dino Thunder team and of Zordon's original Rangers, Justin and Rocky had managed to move both Aisha and Katherine to relative safety, a few dozen feet away.

"Rocky!" Adam yelled out in warning as Will prepared to throw his dagger in their direction.

"Don't worry, Adam," Kira said exchanging a glance with Ethan, "we've got this one covered."

Kira let loose with her Ptera Scream, causing Will to cry out in pain from the assault on his super hearing. He brought his hands up to his ears to try and block the unbearable noise, turning in their direction once again.

Seeing Ethan approach him, Will pulled the hand that held the dagger away from his ear. He then swung the blade at the Blue Dino Ranger. Mere instants before it struck flesh, Ethan tapped into the latent powers of his Dino Gem to transform his skin. The blade mostly shattered on impact, leaving Ethan unharmed.

Adam breathed for a moment, relieved to see that Kira and Ethan's plan had worked. Looking at their adversary however, he saw Will force a smile through the continuing onslaught on his ears. He spun on his heel, and threw what remained of the blade. Only, he didn't throw it in Aisha's direction, but instead aimed it at Jason.

"Jason!" Trini called out as she threw herself in front of the original Red Ranger. She let out a pained cry as the broken dagger lodged itself into her arm, falling back in Jason's arms from the shock.

"Damn, didn't see that last part coming," Will said, shaking his head in disappointment as he turned to face Adam once more. He then looked around to survey the damage caused by his teammates and smiled, satisfied. "Well, I guess the time for games is over."

Just as he finished speaking those words, Ronny appeared next to him. He took hold of her and they both streaked away, leaving Adam and the others to rush to Trini's side.

* * *

After Ronny had killed Theo, RJ had instructed Jarrod to keep watch over Lily. The Cheetah Master had been devastated by the battle's tragic turn of events.

For the minutes that had followed, he'd been forced to watch as Ronny had continued to hold her own against his allies. His eyes had also wandered to where other fights were being waged. The Overdrive Rangers all seemed to be toying with them at this point. They had all drawn blood, shaken them, and now they were simply biding their time. When Taylor had been unable to morph to Eric's rescue, the tone of the battle had become even more desperate. Left and right, various Rangers had pulled out or summoned their morphers and attempted to call on their powers. All of them had met with failure.

At that point, Ronny had streaked away from the Ninja Storm Rangers and his friends and the Overdrive Rangers had regrouped.

"What's wrong, Rangers?" Will now asked as, once again, he stood amidst his teammates. "Your powers are gone? Well, that's because your connections to the Morphing Grid have been severed. You're all sitting ducks now."

Jarrod was about to take a step forward and summon the full extent of his powers as the Lion Master when Casey held him back, shaking his head.

"We fight smart or we all die," Casey whispered under his breath, loudly enough so that only Jarrod would hear him.

Jarrod nodded once and turned his attention back to the Overdrive Rangers.

"Now, we know that some of you already have powers that separate you from the common baseline human, but that won't help you against us," Rose announced, producing her Overdrive Tracker in her hand.

"Truth is," Ronny continued, reaching for her own Tracker, "even though none of you are going to make it out of this quarry alive, five of you still have the power to go up against us."

"Ten morphers are functional," Dax chimed in, following his teammates' initiative.

"Five of them are ours," Tyzonn added, grabbing his Mercury Morpher.

"And five of them are yours," Will concluded, eyeing someone in the crowd of Rangers.

After a moment of silence, a lone individual emerged from the crowd, placing himself between his allies and the Overdrive Rangers, face to face with Will, who couldn't hold back a smirk.

A few seconds later, four more figures slowly stepped forward to flank their friend. Both groups stared each other down for what seemed like an eternity before the second group reached for or summoned their morphers.

"This ends now," the man in the middle said, determined, as he looked Will straight in the eye. "Ready?"

"Ready!" the four others called out in unison, with the same resolve.

"It's morphin' time! Black Ranger Power!" Adam called out.

"Ninja Storm, Ranger form! Ha!" Tori shouted.

"Dino Thunder, power up! Ha!" Kira followed.

"S.P.D., Emergency!" Bridge yelled.

"Magical Source, Mystic Force!" Xander finished.

_To be continued...

* * *

_

_So, um, I'm a bit at a loss for words. Rough chapter, very rough. Even to write, that was excruciating and I hate myself for it. But that's the way the story goes._

_Kimberly: I love Kimberly. I'm actually toying with writing a solo story for her down the road, something that touches more on her human side than her heroic side. So she'll get her focus eventually, just not in End of Days. Following Tommy's death, I had to have a strong follow-through. Kim's death came quickly, brutally and unexpectedly, and it confirmed without a doubt that the other Overdrive Rangers were involved. I hesitated between her and Kat, since Tommy was really important for both of them, but in the end, since Kim will be getting more spotlight in some of my other big stories, I decided to end her stay in End of Days here. Plus, her death impacts a particular group of Rangers, including Sky. That connection will be further explained in another story._

_Leanbow: I needed Ty to get his hands dirty and I needed his actions to be strategic. I liked the idea of him having this mark that made him immune to the Mystics' field, even though he played them to get their guards down. Why Leanbow? Along with Udonna and Daggeron, he was one of the most powerful players involved. Eliminate Leanbow, you also bring down Udonna and Nick down a notch._

_Carlos: Carlos came out of left field. I knew Maya was safe but that she'd be a misdirect in this scene. I considered taking out someone close to Andros, but in the end, I figured that Carlos would be yet another casualty who would have a serious effect on Adam, who acted as a mentor, especially when he showed up again in Always a Chance._

_Theo: This was all about having a Ranger panic and make a mistake because of this hellish situation they were all thrust in. It couldn't be Casey because we got plenty of 'Casey feels inadequate' moments in JF. Instead, it came down to Theo, who seemed to be the most confident member of the rookie group of Rangers. Initially, the jaguar spirit was meant to take a life as well, but I decided against it. Then, it became a matter of having Ronny take advantage of the situation._

_Eric: Eric, along with Kimberly, were the only two deaths I had planned long in advance for this chapter. The feint, with Dax apparently targeting one of the 'weaker' Rangers and then grabbing Eric, of all people, and dropping him like he did with Cole. It had to be done. Also, it gave us the morpher reveal._

_Trini: Not dead, and that was the feint of the last sequence. Every battle led to a death, so this time, I thought I'd spare the Rangers and only injure someone. Why did Trini save Jason and not someone else? Well, I figured it would be expected that a male Ranger would do the heroic selfless thing and be willing to sacrifice themselves for Jason. I'd initially picked Zack to be the savior. Then I thought: "Why not a girl? Why not Trini?"_

_All in all, the chapter makes me very sad, because I hate doing this to the Rangers, but I'm still very pleased with how it turned out. And that cliffhanger morph? I love that moment, which was in the trailer following Chapter 1._

_And here's a little something for all of you who've stuck with me so far. Back in Chapter 10, Kira and Conner were having a conversation before they found out about Cole's death. She told him: "__So there'll be another way. Mack will figure out a way to come back, or we'll find a way to bring him back. It's not over, Conner. Deep inside, I know it. We just need to have hope._" No matter how dark this story gets, you can't give up on the Rangers, you'll just need to have hope and hold on to that hope with everything you've got.

_This story, despite appearances, it's not about annihilating the Rangers. It's about testing them as humans and as heroes. As teammates, as friends, as siblings, as lovers. How much are they ready to sacrifice or give up to make things right? How do they cope with loss? How do they keep going? How do they maintain hope when things get darker than they ever have? There are probably a lot more questions that I can't think of right now, but this is what End of Days is about. It's about seeing the Rangers fight harder than they've ever had to and not give up, no matter how bad things get, because they have this tiny glimmer of hope. Foolish? Perhaps, but that's what makes them heroes._

_Coming up next time, in Chapter 15, Once a Ranger, Part I, it's on as Adam and his team take on the Overdrive Rangers! And I haven't forgotten about the RPM Rangers, they'll be appearing again shortly._

_Fanmail!_

_End of Days has officially reached 200 reviews! A huge thank you to everyone who helped make that happen! For the latest bunch of reviews, huge thanks to LoneWolfVampire13, ImaSupernaturalCSI, Lina, the true elec, Red shadow Ranger, Traitor-Hero, SilverDragonRanger09, Original-Red-And-Pink-4ever, SlothKeeper, taylorearhardtmyers, cloverbot, Puggles Master, Yellow At Heart & Horsewriter55._

_Specifics:_

_So, a lot of people were left heartbroken or joyful following Tommy's demise. Again, love Tommy, one of my all-time favorite Rangers, but it just had to be done. The same goes for all our losses in this Chapter._

_Also, theories about the Overdrives. All very interesting. I particularly like the Psycho Rangers aspect of it. You'll find out the 'why' in Chapter 16. But in this chapter, there was a little mention of Thrax..._

_Until next time,_

_Power down!_


	15. Once a Ranger, Part I

_**Chapter 15  
**_

_**Once a Ranger, Part I  
**_

___(Original Posting Date: November 8th, 2009)_

* * *

_Author's note: It's been a while, I know. But I'm back with a super-sized chapter to make up for it. Anyone not signed up for story alerts or author alerts by this point, what are you waiting for?  
_

_

* * *

_

"Overdrive, Accelerate!" Will and his teammates exclaimed simultaneously as they tapped into the powers of the Morphing Grid. Instants later, their bodies were covered by the protective armor of their suits.

Silence fell over the quarry as the two teams stared each other down. It almost seemed as if no one wanted to make the first move.

Adam knew the Overdrive Rangers were savoring this moment, relishing in their despair and their fear. He'd seen it in their eyes before they had morphed. He now knew that there was only one way this could end.

"Whatever you need to do," he told the four Rangers who stood by his side, his eyes not leaving their former allies, "take them out."

"Adam, you can't possibly expect us to…" Kira started to protest.

"Whatever you need to do," Adam repeated slowly, accentuating the words. "Whatever happened to them, our friends are gone. I'm not losing anyone else today."

"Well, check out the stones on you, Park," Will commended, sounding slightly surprised. "Truth be told, I didn't think you'd have it in you. Well, not after Tommy. And Kimberly. And Carlos. You know, it's a shame I missed Jason. I'm sure that would have taken you right over the edge."

Adam tried to block out Will's words. If he hoped to survive the coming battle, he needed to have all his focus. He couldn't afford to be distracted by anger or grief. He couldn't let Will get to him.

"Here are the rules of the game," Ronny called out, loud enough to be heard by everyone present in the quarry. "It's a fight to the finish. Overdrive Rangers against the five Rangers who helped us put Thrax away. Now, having done the whole 'selfless hero' thing in the past, I realize that even without powers, some of you will be tempted to interfere with the upcoming complete annihilation of your buddies. To those people, I say 'don't even think about it'. Rose?"

"Think of this as a cage match," Rose suggested as she produced a small device. "The ten of us are now surrounded by an impenetrable force field."

"No one gets in," Dax began giddily.

"Five of us get out," Tyzonn finished coldly.

* * *

"Are you sure we should be doing this, Scott?" Summer Landsdown, the Yellow RPM Ranger asked as she peered in through the broken window of the car currently being hotwired by Flynn McAllistair, the Blue RPM Ranger.

"The owner of this car won't need it anymore if we don't stop what's meant to happen today, Summer," Scott Truman explained as the car's engines came alive. "Everyone, get in."

Scott settled down behind the wheel and waited for the others to get in. Flynn took the passenger seat while Summer, along with Gem and Gemma, the Gold and Silver RPM Rangers, all squeezed into the back.

"Not that I actually object to the notion of commandeering a nice set of wheels for us to go save the day, Scott, but do we even _have_ a plan?" Flynn asked as he buckled his seatbelt. "I mean, sure, our morphers picked up on multiple signatures, all linked to the same universal bioelectric field that Dr. K derives our powers from, but we don't even know what that means. Plus, the date. Tenaya 7 sent us here and now for a reason, and we all know it's bad news to be here today."

"Um, what's so-" Gem started.

"-bad about today?" Gemma finished the question.

"Not now, Wonder Twins," Finn stopped them, turning back towards Scott, who was following the signal his morpher was picking up.

"Look, guys, I don't know," Scott confessed. Even though he was the active leader of the RPM team, he had to recognize that he was flying blind on this one without Dr. K's help in calling the shots. "This is the day the Blackout begins and the state of California ends. Most likely, Tenaya 7 sent us here to die, and we're not going to let that happen. Corinth needs us."

"We're talking of changing history, Scott," Summer stated. "We're not supposed to do that. What if, by trying to save ourselves, we make the future worse?"

"I don't know, Summer," Scott answered, uncertainty and fear piercing through his confident exterior. "I really don't."

"Alright then," Flynn slipped in. "Look. There's no point in driving ourselves crazy over this until we know exactly what's going on. Let's get to this place, see what's going on, and then we'll figure something out."

"Make something go B-O-O-M!" Gem said with a joyful smile.

"That always works for the best!" Gemma agreed, nodding excitedly.

"Ach, God help us," Flynn said, turning away from the twins to look ahead of them as they sped through the quiet streets.

* * *

"Come on, Rangers," Daggeron whispered as he watched Xander and the others take on the Overdrive Rangers. As far as hand-to-hand combat was concerned, it seemed that both teams were evenly matched. The Overdrive Rangers did appear to have slight edge however. Not only were they more focused than their adversaries, but they weren't pulling any punches.

Daggeron frowned when he saw Xander's head snap back following a spin kick from Dax that squarely connected with his helmet. The Green Mystic Ranger fell backwards onto the ground, taking a few moments to get back to his feet as the Blue Overdrive Ranger advanced on him.

As soon as the two Rangers were within arms reach, the attacks began anew, each Ranger determined to land a kick or a punch while trying to block or dodge any offensive move. It was a relief to see that Xander was still holding his own, despite the hard hit he'd taken to the head.

The wizard's attention drifted away from his former student as he took in the other fights that were simultaneously taking place. He worried when he noticed that Adam, Tori, Bridge and Kira all seemed to be holding back slightly, despite Adam's earlier command. He'd seen the same thing with Xander.

"They don't have it in them," he said a little louder, drawing Chip and Vida's attention.

"What are you saying?" Vida asked, worried as she kept glancing in Xander's direction.

"They know what they need to do," Daggeron answered grimly. "But they're not ready to do that. They're not killers, Vida."

"There has to be another way," Chip pleaded, clearly hoping that his mentor would offer an alternative.

"Not that I know of," Daggeron stated sadly.

"Kira!" they heard Conner scream out from a few feet away, causing them to cast their eyes in the direction of the Yellow Dino Ranger, who was squaring off against Ronny. The Yellow Overdrive Ranger had flipped her onto her back and now had her foot pressed firmly on her throat while Kira struggled to break free.

Around her, the others didn't seem to be faring so well either. Bridge was struggling to catch his breath as the air had been knocked out of him when Tyzonn had connected with a brutal kick to his chest. Meanwhile, Adam slammed into the force field that surrounded them all after a strong shove from Will. Finally, Tori, who'd managed to pin Rose down on the ground, landed hard on her back when the Pink Overdrive Ranger managed to flip her over.

Daggeron held his breath when Xander went down once again, only releasing it when his charge stood back up. The Overdrive Rangers all took a few steps back, laughing amongst themselves as the five other Rangers gathered in their midst, the battle's physical toll enhanced by the emotional hurt they'd sustained over the past few days.

"You guys are making this way too easy," Will sneered as he and his teammates circled them. "I was expecting so much more."

"We're not quite done yet, Will," Adam warned, standing a bit straighter. "Do it, guys."

"Right!" they all called out together.

"Legendary Source, Mystic Force!" Xander shouted, raising his Mystic Morpher to the sky, activating his Legend Warrior powers. As his suit's powers and resistance were increased, his Morpher and Magi Staff combined, transforming into his Mystic Lion Staff, which he held out before him.

"SPD, S.W.A.T. Mode!" Bridge called out, holding his Delta Morpher high above his head, causing the Special Weapons and Tactics armor and upgrades to materialize over his suit and his Delta Enforcer to appear in his hands.

"Super Dino Mode!" Kira exclaimed, further tapping into the powers of her Dino Gem to increase her strength as spikes formed over her arms and legs along with a pair of wings. Even as her suit transformed, her Ptera Grips materialized in her hands.

Unlike the others, Tori stayed silent. Even though she didn't have an upgrade for her powers, she still had a few tricks up her sleeve. She reached over her shoulder and unsheathed her Ninja Sword, holding on to it tightly.

Finally, Adam held out his right hand, opening it slowly, revealing a coin that sat on his palm.

"What's that?" Will asked, curious.

"It's a little something I got from Tommy after our business with Thrax ended," Adam explained, "A bit old school, but it's all I'll need to take you down. I summon the power of the Dragon Shield!" Adam called out, tapping into the latent energies of Tommy's first source of energy, the Dragon Coin. The golden armor formed over his chest, the sight of which made his friends gasp in surprise. In his hands, he grasped the mighty Power Axe.

The five Rangers then went on the offensive, seeking out the Overdrive Rangers they'd previously been fighting. While the odds had seemed to be slightly against them, that was no longer the case. Even without a power boost, Tori seemed to have gained the upper hand against Rose, thanks to her extensive martial arts background.

"Show them how it's done, Rangers," Daggeron whispered, filled with a renewed sense of hope as, around him, other Rangers started to call out encouragements to their teammates.

* * *

"Aw, what's the matter, Tori," Rose taunted the Blue Wind Ranger as they faced off once again, "no upgrade for you?"

"I don't need an upgrade to defeat you," Tori answered, resolved to take the Pink Overdrive Ranger down. The others depended on her. Although she'd been slightly worried at first when she'd seen all her friends tap into greater sources of power, she took comfort in the fact that, like her, the Overdrive Rangers didn't have that particular luxury. Rose wasn't any stronger than she'd been before.

"We'll see about that," Rose stated, reaching for her Drive Defender, extending it into its saber mode. Without missing a beat, she charged Tori, raising her blade above her head.

Tori breathed in calmly, staying perfectly still as Rose came at her. It was only when the other girl's blade started to come down that she allowed herself to move, ninja streaking out of the way to find herself standing behind her opponent.

"Missed me," she teased, slashing her sword down Rose's back in a shower of sparks. The Pink Overdrive Ranger let out a pained and surprised cry.

"Ninja Shadow Battle!" Tori then called out, not wanting to give the other girl a chance to recover. In the moments that followed, her sword managed to connect several more times until she got Rose to drop to her knees, pain tremors coursing through her body.

* * *

"Ronny, you have to stop this, fight whatever's making you act this way," Kira pleaded with the other Ranger as she blocked a slash from her Drive Defender using her Ptera Grips. Even though Adam had given the order, Kira couldn't bring herself to accept that the Overdrive Rangers were truly lost to them.

"Stop this? No. End it? Yes," Ronny answered, pulling away to prepare her next attack.

"Then tell me why you're doing this," Kira demanded, keeping a defensive stance. "Why kill Mack?"

"Ah, my dear fiancé," Ronny replied, feigning sadness. "That was such a shame. He was meant to fight by our side. Until he became tainted, that is."

"Tainted? How?" Kira asked hopefully, realizing that if Mack had initially been evil but turned to good, then there was a chance his teammates could be brought back as well.

"Do you really think I'm that foolish?" Ronny chided her, shaking her head slowly. "I'm not going to give you the key to bringing us back to our old pathetic selves." With that, she ran towards Kira, her Drive Defender discarded and replaced by her Drive Claws.

"With some incentive, you might," Kira said. The moment Ronny was within reach, she kicked her Drive Claws out of her hands. Then, dropping her Ptera Grips to the ground, she threw herself at the Yellow Overdrive Ranger, grabbed her by the arm and took flight.

"Come on, tell me," she ordered as they gained altitude. Ronny was struggling, trying without success to break free.

"Not a chance," Ronny shouted defiantly, reaching for her Drive Defender.

"Fine," Kira conceded, letting go.

* * *

"What? No small talk, Bridge?" Tyzonn taunted as he held out his Drive Detector before him in blaster mode.

"You've killed friends of ours, Tyzonn. I can't let you cause any more damage," Bridge answered, resigned. "It's over."

Even as Tyzonn fired his Drive Detector, Bridge let loose with his Delta Enforcer. The two energy blasts met in a violent explosion that sent both Rangers flying back several feet.

Bridge was back on his feet quicker, the force of the blast absorbed by his S.W.A.T. armor, and he ran towards Tyzonn. At that moment, knowing how high the stakes were, Bridge wished that they would have brought R.I.C., S.P.D.'s Robotic Interactive Canine and the key to his Battlizer powers, with them to the year 2009.

As he made his approach, he fired several less powerful blasts at Tyzonn, the first knocking his weapon out of his hands and the others all connecting with his suit.

"S.P.D. Morpher!" he called out, holding his Delta Morpher in front of him and flipping it open. "Judgment mode!" It was time to end things once and for all.

* * *

Xander was uncharacteristically silent as he stared down Dax. At first, he'd attempted to take the Blue Overdrive Ranger using the Mystic Force Fighters, but they'd proved useless as Dax had managed to dodge every punch thrown.

Discarding the over-sized gloves, Xander summoned his Mystic Lion Staff once again.

"Hit me with your best shot, Xand,' Dax challenged him, waiting, not even trying to mount his own attack.

"Code 1!" Xander called out, dialing the 1 on his staff. "Rock Slide!" He opened a portal between himself and his enemy, and a volley of rocks and boulders flew out of it, straight at the other Ranger.

"Drive Vortex!" Dax called out even as he leapt into the air, just out of the rocks' trajectory. Pointing his weapon downward, he used it to keep himself in the air and out of reach of Xander's attack.

"Still waiting for you to hit me, buddy," Dax taunted once he'd landed on the ground.

"Fine, mate," Xander replied. "See how much you like it when I get back to my roots."

With that, Xander pointed his staff in Dax's direction, causing the ground beneath him to tremble as dozens of vines and roots broke through the dry sandy surface. While Dax easily evaded them at first, it wasn't long before he found himself trapped.

"End of the line, Dax, and no mystical ward's going to save you," Xander stated sadly as the vines and roots began to contract, squeezing the Blue Overdrive Ranger more and more tightly by the second. Dax let out a frustrated scream as he unsuccessfully tried to break free.

* * *

"That all you got?" Will asked defiantly as he got back to his feet after being downed by a blast from Adam's Power Axe.

"I'm just getting started," Adam answered as he slowly approached the leader of the Overdrive Rangers. Since donning the Dragon Shield, he felt stronger and more powerful than before. "You're about to get schooled."

"Try me, old man," Will said, using his Drive Slammer to support himself.

When he was close enough, Adam threw himself at Will, who swung at him with his Drive Slammer. Dodging the attack easily, Adam dragged the sharpened edge of his Power Axe across the other Ranger's torso, making him cry out in pain as sparks flew and smoke tendrils rose into the air.

Pressing his advantage, Adam dropped to the ground and swept Will off his feet, landing him once again on his back.

"I'm gonna get you," Will vowed as he pulled out his Drive Defender, firing it at Adam's chest. The blast connected squarely with the Dragon Shield, which was strong enough to protect its wearer completely.

"I'm sorry, Will," Adam stated, raising the Power Axe high above him, "I really am". He barely hesitated before he brought down the axe with all his strength towards Will's chest, wishing it hadn't had to come down to this.

* * *

"Run it by me again," Dillon asked Ziggy as they drove down a deserted road.

"Why?" Ziggy asked, taking his eyes away from his morpher's display. "It's not like the story's going to change."

"Just humor me," Dillon insisted. "The Blackout."

"Fine," Ziggy answered. "I guess you can trace the origins of the Blackout to June 20th, 1999. This big force of evil, Dark Specter, launched an all-out attack against the universe. It was really huge. They even made a movie about it, directed by Spielberg. I've got it in my personal collection back home if you ever want to check it out. And if we ever get back home."

"Ziggy," Dillon interrupted, trying to get his friend back on topic.

"Right," Ziggy replied, realizing that once again, he'd gone off on a tangent. "So, Dark Specter launched his big attack, and it looked bad for humanity and, well, the universality or whatever. But, the Power Rangers of that time and their allies were able to defeat him. That happened on the 21st of June. Dark Specter and his followers were all destroyed."

"June 21st 2009, today, was the tenth anniversary of his defeat. There was going to be a big celebration in Angel Grove for the occasion and a many former Rangers were going to be in attendance. Apparently, there was also going to be a memorial for a former Ranger who'd recently been murdered."

"On the day of the celebration, somehow, Angel Grove and the rest of California got cut off from the rest of the world. No communications from inside the state made it out and no communications from the outside made it in. Complete isolation. No phones, no e-mails, no internet, no Twitter, nothing."

"What's a Twitter?" Dillon asked, momentarily taking his eyes off the road.

"Not important," Ziggy answered. "So every person in the state of California is completely unreachable. But it gets worse. Physically, no one could get in or out either. That lasted a few days. When it ended and people could get in the state, everyone was dead."

"There was this quarry, here, in Angel Grove. They found close to a hundred bodies there, and some pretty advanced technology. The working theory at the time was that these people had been wiped out in a massive explosion. As for the rest of the state, it was some sort of energy pulse that did it. Also, the infrastructures were significantly damaged."

"Those people they found in the quarry, with that tech toys, they were all former Rangers," Dillon said. "They fought a battle that they couldn't win and they all died. Tenaya 7 sent us here to share their fate, or at least the fate of everyone else in the state.

"But we can change it, right?" Ziggy questioned.

"Tenaya told me that the others were all as good as dead," Dillon mused. "Assuming she told me the truth, that means they don't make a difference in what's coming."

"Then, when she sent you back, you ended up in the trunk of my car, so clearly you wouldn't have made a difference either. You would have died suffocated or something."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Ziggy said, sounding slightly offended.

"No, this is good," Dillon said. "Maybe I can set things right, or even you."

"Me? How?" Ziggy asked, panic creeping in his voice.

"You're not dead, you can change things," Dillon explained. "I already changed the course of destiny since my arrival by saving you. We're both wild cards in this."

"You know, this whole time traveling thing is turning out to be really confusing," Ziggy complained.

"The others don't change anything, but maybe now that the whole team is here, things will turn out differently," Dillon said.

"O-kay," Ziggy agreed slowly, apparently still trying to grasp what Dillon was saying.

"Just have some faith, Ziggy," Dillon suggested. Looking at the display in Ziggy's hand, he saw that they were nearing their destination. "Say, aren't we nearing a rock quarry?"

"Aww, crap," Ziggy acknowledged.

* * *

"Defender Vest!" Will called out instants before the Power Axe struck his chest. To Adam's surprise, what would otherwise have been a killing blow had no effect whatsoever as his weapon simply bounced off, not even leaving a mark.

"You're not the only one with funky armor," Will said as he rose to his feet, reenergized by the vest's power. Before Adam could answer, he swung his Drive Slammer, catching him squarely in the side, sending him flying.

"Time to see who's gonna get schooled," he added as Adam faced him, clutching his side.

* * *

"Bridge, no!" Hunter heard Z cry out from a few feet away. Shifting his attention away from Tori, he stared on in disbelief. The leader of B-Squad had fallen, motionless, no longer protected by his powers. An unmorphed Tyzonn stood over him, his arm in mercury form, shaped like a blade, tip embedded into Bridge's back.

Hunter didn't know what had happened. Mere moments ago, his friends had seemed to have gained the upper hand on the Overdrive Rangers. And yet, the tides had shifted once again.

Near the force field, the Jungle Fury Rangers were calling forth their animal spirits, setting them loose on the force field in an attempt to pierce through. Near them, Jarrod and Camille, in their armored forms, were slashing away, hoping for the same result.

A few feet away, the Mystic Rangers, Udonna and Daggeron were trying to use their magicks to break down the force field, but to no avail.

"Someone get us through that damn force field, now!" Conner shouted from where he stood near the Mystic Rangers. "We have to help them!"

"Maybe I can get through," Dustin said. He stood next to Hunter, his features serious.

"Dustin, what are you saying?" Shane asked him, keeping an eye on Tori at the same time.

"This force field, maybe it doesn't extend underground," Dustin explained. Turning to look at the Yellow Wind Ranger, Hunter saw that there was fear on his face. After all, if he could manage to cross over to the other side, he'd end up fighting the Overdrive Rangers without his powers.

"You don't have to do this, Dustin," Hunter said despite himself, placing a hand on his teammate's shoulder.

"Yes I do," Dustin said, his voice trembling. "Tori's my best friend, Hunter. If there's a chance I can get through to help her, I have to take it. Plus, she'd do it in a heartbeat if the roles were reversed."

"Rose has the device controlling the portal," Cam reminded them. "If you get that device and destroy it, Dustin, we're all going to be by your side."

Dustin nodded once and took a step toward the force field. Just as he was ready to go under, Hunter saw someone step up beside him.

"Looks like it's on us, huh?" Jack asked, looking at Dustin with a hopeful smile.

"Jack?" Dustin asked, puzzled.

"The working theory is that I can walk right through that force field," Jack stated. "You going under?"

"That's what we're gonna find out, I guess," Dustin confirmed. "Rose's device?"

"Yeah," Jack said. "Let's go."

Hunter watched Dustin sink into the ground and Jack walk towards the field, hopeful.

* * *

"It's time to clip your wings once and for all, little bird," Ronny snarled as she slammed her Drive Claws into Kira, sending her flying back several feet.

"Ronny, please don't do this," Kira pleaded as she got back up, her entire body hurting, her suit reverting back to its regular form, then disappearing completely, leaving her powerless.

Still reeling from Ronny's last blow, Kira fell to her knees, tears filling her eyes as the Yellow Overdrive Ranger calmly bridged the gap between them. Desperate, she tapped into the powers of her gem, letting out a primal scream that made her feel like her throat was on fire. But it didn't even slow Ronny down.

When the Drive Claws struck again, Conner's scream was almost as loud and pained as Kira's last one had been.

* * *

Xander was caught in a battle of wills against Dax as the Blue Overdrive Ranger continued trying to break free from the hold of his trap. It was a fight the Green Mystic Ranger had no intention of losing however, as he focused on the vines and roots, willing them to tighten around his adversary.

Xander smiled when he sensed no more resistance. His expression quickly changed however when he felt like his body had been put on fire. Looking ahead, he realized what was going on. Dax had conjured the Drill Blaster and used it to break free.

"Your roots didn't really like my powers much, Xander," Dax mocked as he prepared to fire again. "I'm guessing you won't either."

Dax then fired the Drill Blaster. Xander wasn't quick enough and, upon being hit, his entire body was covered up in a cement shell. Unable to move, he was a sitting target as Dax prepared to fire again, this time to finish him off, once and for all.

* * *

By the time Jack and Dustin both made it past the force field, it was down to Tori and Adam. Their other friends were all dead.

"C'mon dude," Dustin said to Jack when he noticed him staring in the direction of Bridge's body. "We don't get this device, things are only going to get worse."

"Right," Jack said, wiping away at his eyes.

"Well, look at what we have here," Ronny said, walking towards them, flanked by Dax and Tyzonn, "a pair of heroes, thinking they can interfere with our little game and save their friends."

"You might want to redo the math on that one," came a voice from behind Jack and Dustin.

"Interesting," Dax commented, as he and the others took up defensive stances.

"Z?" Jack asked as he turned to find a dozen clones of his best friend gathered behind him and Dustin.

"Nah," one of the clones replied. "The real Z's stuck on the other side of the portal. But that doesn't mean she couldn't conjure you some backup on the inside."

"Alright then," Dustin called out, "let's see what this group of 'heroes' is capable of."

"Actually, Dustin, let's not," Ronny said, irritated. She leapt high in the air and, as she dropped back to the ground in their midst, she brought her Drive Claws down hard enough that the impact created a shockwave that sent them all flying. As Z's clones vanished one by one, Jack stayed down, unconscious, while Dustin pushed himself up to his feet.

"Your best friend is going to die," Ronny told him as she walked up to him, Dax and Tyzonn at her side. "And you'll have the best seat in the house to see it happen. Boys?"

The two other Rangers both went to Dustin's side and grabbed him by the arms, forcing him to watch, helpless, as Tori faced off against Rose.

* * *

"Looks like we have a spectator," Rose called out, drawing Tori's attention to the spot where Dustin was being held.

"Dustin," Tori whispered, fighting back tears as she saw her friend struggle to stay conscious.

"Let's give him a show he'll remember, shall we?" Rose asked. "Drive Geyser," she called out, summoning her weapon.

"You've got to be kidding me," Tori mocked. "My element is water. Don't think for a second that this little toy of yours is going to do any damage."

"We'll see about that," Rose replied, firing her weapon, causing a powerful burst of water to come out in Tori's direction.

Tori made no effort to dodge or move out of the way. She simply focused on the water and, sure enough, she was able to change its trajectory so that it returned to its sender, knocking her back to the ground.

"You're not going to try that again, are you?" she asked as Rose aimed the Drive Geyser at her a second time.

"I'm thinking of experimenting with a variation, actually," Rose answered, pulling out her Drive Defender. The combined blasts of the two weapons formed a thick blanket of steam which enveloped the two Rangers. "What do you think of that?"

"Damn!" Tori cursed silently as she found herself unable to see her enemy. She held her sword out in front of her, praying that Rose wouldn't be able to get the drop on her.

"You know, while we were Rangers, Dax would make us watch all these superhero movies," Rose mused. "He was obsessed with all the stunt work. I want to try something I saw in one of them. It wasn't the best movie I saw, and the spin-off wasn't exactly an improvement, but whatever."

Before Tori could react, her sword was pulled from her hand. Her surprised gasp turned into an agonized shriek as the blade pierced her suit and went right through her.

* * *

"Tor! No!" Dustin screamed, tears flowing from his eyes, as he watched his best friend render her final breath. Just as Rose let the body fall to the ground, Dax and Tyzonn let him fall to his knees.

"It's not your time yet, Dusty," Ronny whispered in his ear. "But don't worry, we know what you did ten summers ago. We're going to dance real soon, you and me, and then I'll reunite you with your girls."

* * *

Adam found himself to be the last Ranger standing. The four other Rangers who'd fought Thrax with him and the Overdrive Rangers were all dead and two Rangers who'd been able to breach the portal were down. This was a battle he knew he had no chance of winning. His only hope now was that he might be able to take one of the Overdrive Rangers down with him.

"And then there was one," Will announced, still holding the Drive Slammer in his hands. Dax, Ronny, Rose and Tyzonn all stood behind him, looking on.

Adam ran at Will, bringing down his Power Axe with all his strength. This time, the Defender Vest wasn't enough and Will staggered back several steps.

Flipping his weapon over, Adam fired off a blast powerful enough to shatter the Defender Vest and make it fall to the ground.

"Impressive," Will commended, clutching his chest. "But now, it's my turn. Batter up!"

Will came charging at Adam, swinging the Drive Slammer with all his might as though it were a baseball bat. The weapon connected with Adam's helmet, the brute force of the attack shattering it on impact.

When Adam hit the ground, no one even expected him to get up again.

* * *

"Guys, you're alive!" Ziggy called out excitedly as he got out of Dillon's car. When they'd reached their destination, they'd found out that the others had beaten them there. "What's with all the sad faces?" he asked as they turned toward them.

"It's started," Dillon told Ziggy. The two Rangers advanced to join the others on the edge of the cliff overlooking the quarry.

"Those five," Summer pointed to the Overdrive Rangers, tears in her eyes, "we just watched them kill five other Rangers."

"We have to get down there, help them," Dillon stated.

"We don't have powers," Scott informed him. "Apparently, they've shut off everyone's access to their powers other than their own. That includes us."

"Fine, then we fight without powers," Dillon countered, getting impatient as he faced off against Scott.

"Look down there, Dillon," Scott told him, pointing at the scene in the quarry. "I'm counting eleven bodies. Five of those bodies belong to people who had access to powers like ours. If I'm sending my team down there, and that includes you, I'm picking the right moment to do it. It's not going to be some impulsive decision that can only get all of us killed."

"Fine," Dillon replied. "But you'd better pick your moment quickly, because if what Ziggy's told me is accurate. This whole quarry goes off soon. And none of us are going to survive that."

* * *

The moment it had come down to only Adam, Rocky had felt in his gut that there was no way his best friend would survive. For him, that had been the hardest blow yet, even more so than Tommy and Kimberly, or any of the other Rangers who'd fallen since this had all started.

As he fought his own tears, he was grateful to have Aisha by his side. Even though his other closest friend was also torn by their common loss, at this specific moment, she was the rock keeping him from simply falling apart.

Around them, everyone was in shock. Still, he could see that some people were more affected than others. Emotionally, the Overdrive Rangers had them right where they wanted them.

It came as a surprise when the force field was finally lowered. Covered by Jarrod and Camille, Shane and Cam went to recover Dustin while Casey and RJ went to retrieve Jack who was just regaining consciousness. Rocky was surprised and relieved when the Overdrive Rangers didn't try to stop them.

Soon however, they gathered in a line, powering down to face them once again.

"Round one is over," Will declared triumphantly, drawing all eyes on himself, "and we've won it. The five Rangers who helped put Thrax away in 2007 are now dead. But we're just getting started. Now, it's time for round two."

"No," Rocky whispered softly. He could tell that Will was fixing someone in the crowd of Rangers, and even though he couldn't see who it was, he had a feeling he knew who it was.

"Five morphers have been reactivated," Rose announced. She cast a disapproving look in Ronny's direction before continuing. "But only four of them will be of any use.

"I'm sorry," Ronny said to her teammate, "it was a 'spur of the moment thing'. Besides, it's not like you _had_ to go and kill Kendrix."

"Girls," Will called his teammates back to order. "I believe we've got a new fight on our hands."

* * *

Sky fixed the leader of the Overdrive Rangers with an unwavering glare. He knew what this was about. He knew who they were after this time around.

"Sky, please don't," Syd said to him, holding on to his arm. Turning towards her, his heart broke as he took in her pleading tear-filled eyes.

Pulling her shaking body close, he held her tightly, kissing her on the forehead. "I need you to be strong for me, Syd," he told the woman he loved more than anything in the world. "I need you and the others to fix this. Find a way to make things right."

"Tate!" he heard Will call out impatiently. "We're running on a schedule here."

"I love you, always have, always will," he whispered in her ear before he gently pushed her away.

"No," she whispered, held back by Z and Sophie. "Sky!"

But Sky knew he had no other choice as he walked forward, pulling out his morpher as he went to stand opposite Will. Soon, despite the protests of their own teammates, three more figures came to stand by his side.

"Now this ought to be fun," Will declared, the bloodlust obvious in his eyes.

Before either team could morph however, a blinding light filled the quarry, causing them all to shield their eyes.

"The time for games is over, Rangers," a booming voice announced.

"Well, it's about time you showed up," Will snickered.

Out of a swirl of light, a figure emerged. Its golden armor was chipped and cracked, much like the jewel embedded in its chest.

"The Sentinel Knight," Sky whispered, unsure as to whether the guardian of the Corona Aurora was here to assist them or ensure their destruction.

_To be continued..._

_

* * *

Fact of the day: I love and I hate this story. On the one hand, you get some amazingly cool moments, like Adam and the others calling on their power-ups. I mean, how cool was Adam summoning the Dragon Shield? And then, you've got character moments like Dustin and Jack, preparing to risk it all and go through that force field. Also, there's something strangely delicious about evil Rangers really giving it their all. But on the flip side, five more Rangers are gone. Five Rangers that I adored, and that I hated losing. But, once some light is shed on what's been going on, we'll see that these five had to be the Overdrive Rangers' main targets._

_Other fact of the day: Dustin and Jack getting through the force field to try and take it down, not a part of the original plan. Initially, there wasn't going to be any attempted interference from the Rangers on the outside. But then, I thought it would be ridiculous to have them do nothing as their friends start to go down. Hence, the Jungle Fury and Mystic Force Rangers trying to bring the field down. Then, on my last night writing this chapter, the Jack/Dustin mini-arclet came to me. I'm glad it did because it gave me one of my favorite moments in the chapter, which is Dustin's reaction to Tori's death and Ronny's ominous promise that they'll get to face off soon enough._

_In general, that's one of my favorite moments in this chap. Also one of my saddest, along with Syd and Sky's emotional moment at the end and the Kira's final scene where we end on Conner's scream. Those got to me, particularly._

_What's coming up? Well, in Chapter 16, Once a Ranger, Part II, we'll be getting a bit of a history lesson in the form of flashbacks. Why are the Overdrive Rangers doing what they're doing? Is the Sentinel Knight friend or foe? What does Thrax have to do with all of this? All your questions will be answered here._

_As to Sky and the other Rangers chosen for round 2, they're identities and their story may or may not be revealed in the next chapter. Clues have been dropped regarding the identities of four of the five Rangers' whose morphers were activated. Sky, as was revealed in this chapter, is one of them.  
_

_As always, I look forward to your reviews. From the first-time readers to my regulars, it always thrills me to hear from you. I answer all questions & comments, although in some cases cryptically within 48 hours or so..._

_Thanks to everyone who wrote in since Chapter 14 went live: davesamo, taylorearhardtmyers, PurpleRanger101, SlothKeeper, crazedchick, ImaSupernaturalCSI, Original-Red-And-Pink-4ever, Red shadow Ranger, Pinkyy, LoneWolfVampire13, Iron-Mantis, the true elec, Traitor-Hero, Puggles Master, Yellow At Heart, Shotokan Master, Rawan and Sharmaine! I adore you all!  
_

_I've been getting a lot of hate for the Overdrive Rangers, which is quite understandable. And seriously, better them than me, the author who made them evil. Anyhow, next chapter, with the flashbacks, is going to be huge for them.  
_

_Oh, and if anyone plans on sending me flames for killing off Adam's team, get in line. I already hate myself for doing it. But what can I say? Y'all signed up for an epic, no-holds-barred story. This is the way it has to go down...  
_


	16. Once a Ranger, Part II

_**Chapter 16  
**_

_**Once a Ranger, Part II  
**_

___(Original Posting Date: February 14th, 2010)_

* * *

_Previously, on Power Rangers: End of Days…_

_-EoD-  
_

"_Things were going to be fine, Rocky," Kimberly says shakily as he holds her in his arms after Mack's funeral. "He told us we were done, that we'd all be free to live our lives without worry."_

"_I know," Rocky whispers soothingly._

_-EoD-  
_

_Kimberly's body crashes against the quarry's rock wall with a sickening crack. Her body falls to the ground._

_-EoD-  
_

"_Thrax sends his salutations," Will states, locking his eyes on Sky._

_-EoD-  
_

"_This ends now," Adam declares, eyeing Will. "Ready?"_

"_Ready!" Tori, Kira, Bridge and Xander call out together._

"_It's morphin' time! Black Ranger Power!" Adam calls out._

"_Ninja Storm, Ranger form! Ha!" Tori shouts._

"_Dino Thunder, power up! Ha!" Kira follows._

"_S.P.D., Emergency!" Bridge yells._

"_Magical Source, Mystic Force!" Xander finishes._

_-EoD-  
_

_Tyzonn pulls his arm, in the form of a blade, out of a fallen Bridge's back._

_-EoD-  
_

_Ronny advances on an unmorphed Kira, who tries to keep her at bay with her Ptera Scream._

_-EoD-  
_

_Dax fires off a blast of the Drill Blaster at a cement-coated Xander._

_-EoD-  
_

"_Tor! No!" Dustin screams, tears streaming down his face as he watches Tori die, stabbed by Rose using her own sword. Tyzonn and Dax let him fall to his knees._

"_It's not your time yet, Dusty," Ronny whispers in his ear. "But don't worry, we know what you did ten summers ago. We're going to dance real soon, you and me, and then I'll reunite you with your girls."_

_-EoD-  
_

_Will swings the Drive Slammer, connecting with Adam's helmet, shattering it. Adam falls and doesn't get back up."_

_-EoD-  
_

"_Round one is over, and we've won it," Will declares. "The five Rangers who helped us put Thrax away in 2007 are now dead. But we're just getting started. Now, it's time for round two."_

"_No," Rocky whispers, realizing Will is looking at someone._

"_Five morphers have been reactivated," Rose announces, before glaring at Ronny. "But only four of them will be of any use."_

"_I'm sorry, it was a 'spur of the moment' thing," Ronny apologizes._

_-EoD-  
_

_Sky steps forward and is soon joined by three other former Rangers._

"_Now this ought to be fun," Will says before a flash of light fills the quarry._

"_The time for games is over, Rangers," a voice announces._

"_Well, it's about time you showed up," Will snickers as a figure emerges from a swirl of light._

"_The Sentinel Knight," Sky whispers, recognizing the protector of the Corona Aurora._

_

* * *

Angel Grove - June 20th 1999_

Across the universe, the greatest battle of the millennium was being waged, as Dark Specter's endgame played itself out. Earth itself had come under attack on multiple fronts, the forces of darkness having finally decided to make their presence known, intent on stopping at nothing to ensure the fall of all that was good, once and for all.

The Sentinel Knight had sensed the coming darkness and decided that he could no longer simply stand on the sidelines. True, his first calling had always been and would always be to protect the Corona Aurora, but nothing could justify sitting idly as the universe faced certain destruction. The Crown, along with the jewels that powered it, needed to be found, so that it could be used by the forces of good.

Having reached this conclusion and being unable to retrieve the crown and its jewels himself, the Knight had proceeded to seek out the one individual he considered capable of finding them, Andrew Hartford, an adventurer with the background and resources to take on this mission.

And so he had appeared before the man who would possibly be the universe's final hope. Their meeting had been brief, but in the end, Andrew Hartford had accepted to do what had been asked of him.

Unfortunately, their encounter had not gone unnoticed. Astronema, alerted to his appearance, had immediately caught on to his plans, giving the order to neutralize the potential threat that had been created by the Knight.

Thrax had ultimately been tasked with carrying out these orders. His first target had been Andrew Hartford, and although the adventurer had been able to survive the attack, the loss he had experienced that day had been great enough to shatter his life and render him useless to the Knight's cause.

He had then faced off against the Sentinel Knight in a heated battle in a deserted field. Both warriors had been able to hold their own for some time, but the Knight's grief and guilt over the tragedy that had befallen Andrew Hartford had allowed Thrax to gain the upper hand and strike him down.

Thrax had been about to deliver the killing blow when, from out of nowhere, five individuals had appeared, each covered in skintight colored body armor. As one, they had attacked him, taking him down in a matter of moments.

"It's over, Thrax. Stay down," the one in blue ordered, lowering his blasters as the fallen villain desperately reached for his staff.

"This can't be happening," Thrax claimed, in denial, as his hand fell to the ground in a small cloud of dust.

"You're Zedd and Rita's offspring," the one in pink stated, pushing Thrax's staff away from him with her foot, "and we're Power Rangers. What else were you expecting?"

"Are you okay, friend?" the one in purple asked as he helped the Sentinel Knight back up to his feet with some help from the one in blue.

"I have enough energy left to do what needs to be done," the Knight confirmed, struggling a bit to stand upright. "Thank you for your assistance. Who are you, exactly?"

"Sky Tate, Space Patrol Delta, Red Ranger," the one with the blasters said, powering down.

"Kimberly Hart, Earth's first Pink Power Ranger," the sole woman in the group followed.

"Rocky DeSantos, Blue Zeo Ranger," one of the two men who had helped him up continued.

"RJ, short for Robert James, Wolf Ranger," the other one added.

"Dustin Brooks, Yellow Wind Ranger," the last one finished.

"We're Power Rangers," Kimberly said, approaching the Sentinel Knight, "from different times and places. Remember that, eight years from now."

"Kendrix, we're done here," Rocky spoke into his wrist communicator. "Teleport us back to base."

"You got it," came a voice from the device before the five Rangers were gone in a flash of colored lights.

"I'll have my revenge on all of you," Thrax whispered, eyeing the Crown's guardian with hatred as he got back to his feet, ready to make his final stand. "Mark my words."

"We'll see about that, murderer," the Sentinel Knight said as he used the remainder of his power to trap Thrax and send his prison to the moon's surface.

* * *

_Angel Grove - June 21st 2009_

Dustin stood next to Sky, Rocky and RJ, opposite the Overdrive Rangers and the Sentinel Knight, fists clenched by his side. His own teammates had tried to stop him when he'd stepped forward to join Sky, but he'd known then that he had no other choice. Ronny's words had echoed in his mind ever since she had spoken them. Thinking of Tori, Kimberly and Kendrix, his 'girls', as Ronny had referred to them, Dustin couldn't keep his eyes from tearing up.

Looking past the Knight and in Ronny's direction, he could see the Yellow Overdrive Ranger was staring right at him. She was smiling, clearly conscious of his distress and of the effects of her words on him. _Soon_, she mouthed at him, savoring the moment.

"Well, look at who finally decided to join our little shindig," Will sneered, taking in the sight of the Sentinel Knight. "Took you long enough."

Dustin turned his attention back to the Knight. He hoped with all his heart that he was here as an ally and not as an enemy. The Overdrive Rangers were already powerful enough without assistance from the protector of the Corona Aurora.

"It ends now, Rangers," the Sentinel Knight announced, turning to face the Overdrive Rangers. Before they could react, he raised his hand, firing tendrils of orange energy at them. The energy tendrils wrapped themselves around them, pinning their arms against their bodies, effectively binding them and holding them still.

Dustin released the breath he had been holding in, hearing the other three Rangers next to him do the same. They weren't going to have to fight the Overdrive Rangers. Moreover, they were finally going to get answers as to what was going on and maybe, just maybe, they were going to get a chance to undo all the damage that had been done.

Before any questions could be asked however, he heard shouts coming from behind him. Looking back, he saw Lily break away from her friends and emerge from the large group of Rangers standing behind them.

"They're not hurting any more of us," she vowed, still shaken from Theo's death yet trying her best to be collected and focused. "Call to the beast inside, bring out the cheetah!" she called out, summoning her animal spirit.

"Lily!" Dustin heard RJ call out near him. Looking ahead, he saw the cheetah lunge in the Overdrive Rangers' direction. More specifically, it seemed like it was headed straight for Ronny.

"No!" the Sentinel Knight called out, throwing himself in the cheetah's path, bearing the brunt of the attack which would otherwise have killed the unmorphed Ranger. "You cannot hurt them," he pleaded, even as he fell to his knees, weakened.

"Sentinel Knight, what the hell is going on here?" Dustin asked while RJ made his way over to a tearful Lily. "What did Thrax do to them?"

"Please, you're wasting your time if you think he can give you the answers you're looking for," Rose scoffed. "But gather around, kiddies, and we'll tell you a little story…"

* * *

_The Moon - June 2007_

For eight years, ever since the Sentinel Knight had imprisoned him and cast him away, not a single day had passed when Thrax hadn't attempted to escape his prison or sworn to have his revenge on the Power Rangers and their legacy.

When the day had finally come that he was able to break free from the space dumpster holding him captive on the moon, he had set out to put his plans in motion. He'd known then who his targets were. After all, well-mannered as the humans were, they'd all taken the time to introduce themselves to the Sentinel Knight. Sky Tate, Kimberly Hart, Rocky DeSantos, Robert James, Dustin Brooks and a female by the name of Kendrix.

Being on the moon, Thrax made his way to the palace that had been his parents' base of operations. When he arrived there, he was surprised by the quiet and the lack of activity. Zedd and Rita were nowhere to be found and not a single Putty or Tenga was in sight. As he roamed the palace's deserted hallways, he couldn't shake the feeling that something had gone incredibly wrong after his imprisonment.

Eventually, Thrax gave up hope of finding anyone and he started to walk back towards his father's throne room. That's when he heard it, a loud clanging sound of metal clashing against metal, repeating, in a steady rhythm. Intrigued, Thrax tried to determine exactly where the noise was coming from. As quietly and quickly as possible, he moved down the darkened hallways in the direction of the noise.

Soon, he found himself stepping into a well lit room. Taking a quick look around, he saw that not much had changed in it since his banishment. Clay figurines still covered the tables, along with devices and jars and vials filled with various substances. At the opposite end of the workshop, a familiar figure hammered away at something that lay on a worktable.

"Finster!" Thrax called out, surprising the monster-maker, making him drop his hammer to the ground as he spun on his heel.

"Thrax, you're alive," Finster whispered after a moment's silence, looking at him curiously, his head tilted sideways.

"Of course I am," Thrax commented. "Where is everyone?"

"You, you don't know?" Finster questioned him in response, his voice quavering slightly.

"Know what?" Thrax asked, dreading the answer to the question. "What's going on?"

The monster-maker didn't respond to his queries. Instead, he turned and headed for a table covered with various trinkets and devices. Thrax followed, watching as Finster rummaged through the piles of objects. When he turned around, he held a small machine, which he placed on the floor between them. The device emitted a low humming sound as it powered up. After a few moments, a holographic figure appeared above it.

"Master Vile," Thrax said slowly, falling to one knee before the hologram of his grandfather.

"Hello, Thrax," Vile intoned somberly. "If you're seeing this, it means that you've finally freed yourself of the prison the Sentinel Knight trapped you in. It also means that I've been destroyed. Now, I'm sure you have many questions, so I'll start by telling you a bit about what you missed during your time away."

"The war that was fought between the forces of Dark Specter and those of good was a great one. Even after Dark Specter was destroyed, betrayed by one of his own, it appeared as though victory would be ours. Only, there was one thing that none of us foresaw. Zordon sacrificed himself, releasing a wave of energy so wretchedly pure and good that it wiped out almost all of our forces, across the universe."

"Some, who had chosen to be cautious following the fall of Dark Specter, such as I, were able to evade this unfortunate destiny. But mainly, monsters, machines, orgs and countless other beings were caught off guard by the wave and they were turned to sand, their essence scattered in the wind. A select few, including Zedd and Rita, were subjected to an even crueler fate however, as they were made… human."

"No," Thrax whispered, disgusted by the thought that his parents now lived among those they had sworn to destroy, time and again.

"That day," the hologram continued, "I swore on all that was evil that I would do anything to bring them back into the fold. And so, I set off with the few who had been fortunate enough to be with me, safe on the Space Skull, when the wave had hit."

"As it could be expected however, we encountered strong resistance in the form of a team of Rangers, brought together to ensure our failure. Assuming you're watching this, they were successful."

"And so it now falls on your shoulders, Thrax, to ensure our legacy of evil leaves its mark on the world. How will you accomplish that? It's quite simple, really. You'll destroy them all, every last one of them, whatever it takes. Now go, and make us proud."

The hologram flickered a few times before vanishing, leaving Thrax shaken. He couldn't believe the fate that had befallen his parents and his grandfather. Now more than ever, he was determined to have his revenge on Zordon's legacy.

Even as he processed all the information that he had been given, Thrax took notice of a new presence in the room. His grip tightened on his staff and he stood up to face a young woman clad in golden armor.

"Welcome home, Thrax," she greeted him curtly. "I sensed your arrival." Seeing his questioning look, she continued. "I've been living among the Earth-dwellers since Master Vile's destruction, gathering information, awaiting your return. Several teams of Rangers were formed and disbanded over the years, each managing to defeat forces of evil more and more powerful. The current active Ranger team is actually on a quest to retrieve something familiar to you: the jewels of the Corona Aurora."

"The Corona Aurora," Thrax repeated slowly, realizing that getting his hands on the crown could be the key to the complete annihilation of the Rangers and of the one who had trapped him.

* * *

For a few weeks, Thrax studied the conflict opposing the Overdrive Rangers and various evil factions. Then, he started to form a plan

First, he would have to get the leaders of the rival factions to agree to a temporary truce. Then, using their combined powers, he would sever the Rangers' connection to the Morphing Grid. With the crown's defenders powerless, he had no doubt the Sentinel Knight would call on back-up, in the form of the team that had led to his defeat eight years before, the same team that had apparently destroyed Master Vile. He would set Finster's Vulturus monster loose on them and, following their destruction, he would find the missing jewels of the crown and use it to destroy every Ranger still living.

In Thrax's mind, the plan was perfect, but he knew he couldn't take a victory for granted. He needed a contingency plan, in case he was defeated, a way to ensure that the Rangers would still be doomed to fall.

* * *

_San Angeles - 2007_

Following Kamdor and Mig's defeat in Stonehenge at the hands of five former Rangers and Flurious' subsequent encounter with them, the members of the evil alliance all gathered in Thrax's underground chamber. Unbeknownst to his allies, Thrax had expected the Sentinel Knight's move. The only thing that had surprised and angered him had been the Knight's selection. Clearly, his old nemesis had seen through Thrax's plans and sought to protect the five Rangers Thrax had really wanted to annihilate.

In order to reassure his team as to their chances at victory, Thrax chose that moment to bring out the Vulturus monster. He then told them that while they distracted the Rangers, he would personally deal with the Sentinel Knight to get his revenge. The level of excitement in his cave reached a fever pitch, his allies confident in their imminent victory. Thrax knew such confidence could lead to their undoing, and so he decided it was time to reveal the last part of his plan.

"Regardless of the outcome of the coming battle," he stated, drawing all their attention, "this will be my final stand against the Rangers."

"Regardless of the outcome?" Miratrix questioned him. "Not too confident, are we?"

"I'm merely a realist, Miratrix," Thrax answered in her direction. "Countless others have failed to destroy the Rangers before us. What they had in common was that they all lacked vision."

"You see, my evil alliance, if these veteran Rangers and the currently powerless Overdrive team have the same fortune as their predecessors, you will all be defeated, one at a time, no matter how clever or foolproof your plans seem to be. But my plan ensures that, even if we are all defeated, the Ranger legacy will self-destruct."

"Go on," Flurious urged him, his interest clearly piqued, much like that of all the others present.

"Very well," Thrax replied. "But first, Flurious, Moltor, Kamdor, Miratrix, Benglo, Mig, I want you all to gather around the fire pit."

Soon, the six villains and Thrax formed a circle around the fire. Norg stood a few paces behind Flurious, amidst a small group of Chillers and Lava Lizards. Once they were in place, the fire flickered a few times before it vanished, revealing in its place a swirling green orb of energy.

"What's that?" Benglo asked, eyeing the orb.

"Careful, kitty," Kamdor warned mockingly. "You know what curiosity did to the cat."

"Enough," Thrax said before Benglo could respond. "This orb is powered by dark energies. If I am destroyed in the coming battle, my evil energies will be absorbed by it, augmenting its power. The same holds true in the event that any of you meet your demise. Ultimately, if six of us are destroyed, it will be at its most powerful, ready to be used by the last one of us that remains standing."

"And what will it do once used?" Moltor asked.

"Aside from giving its bearer unimaginable power, it will allow them to infect the Rangers," Thrax answered. "The effects won't be immediate, but when the time comes, they'll be transformed into the ultimate weapons of destruction and revenge. Their sole purpose will be to lay waste to the world they fight so hard to protect and to exterminate all those who will have wielded the power before and after them. All this, against their will."

"Turning the Rangers evil, making them destroy everything they hold dear, I like it," Miratrix summed up with a smile. "But why wait that long to use the orb?"

"It could have side effects on its user," Thrax explained. "Now, those won't cause a problem if the Corona Aurora is used in conjunction."

* * *

Over the following months, the members of Thrax's alliance fell, one at a time, starting with its leader. In the end, it all came down to Flurious.

Shortly before his final assault on the Hartford estate, Flurious visited Thrax's former lair. As he approached the fire pit in the center of the subterranean chamber, the energy orb slowly rose into the air, glowing intensely, fueled by the darkness of his fallen allies. It was bigger than he remembered it.

When he was within arm's reach, Flurious reached his hand out. As soon as his icy skin made contact with the orb, he felt its energy flood into his body, augmented by the energies of his fallen comrades, sending every nerve ending into sensory overload. The feeling was excruciating, but he could sense it making him stronger, preparing him for his final stand against the Overdrive Rangers.

The feeling became even stronger once Flurious placed the jewels in their respective slots on the Corona Aurora. At that moment, instants before the arrival of the Overdrive Rangers in a deserted rock quarry on the outskirts of San Angeles, Flurious understood what he was supposed to do. He also knew that his timing was crucial. He waited until the Rangers intoned their morphing call before he unleashed the full extent of the powers he had absorbed from the orb, powers that had been enhanced by the Crown's proximity.

Soon, the Rangers were all trapped in a thick coat of ice, much like the city they had defended and its population. Flurious knew that wouldn't hold them for long. After all, that wasn't the purpose of this particular attack. As the powers of their morphers started to melt their icy prisons, they also activated toxins within the ice, toxins that were absorbed by the Rangers' skin.

When the Rangers stood before him, fully morphed, Flurious couldn't hold back a smirk. They were all infected.

* * *

_San Angeles - June 16th 2009_

"It's over, Sentinel Knight. Stay down," Will ordered, lowering the Drive Slammer as the fallen hero fought to stay conscious.

"This can't be happening," the Knight claimed in denial. Looking up, he could see the other Overdrive Rangers standing by Will's side. Like him, they were all morphed, weapons in hand. All but Mack, who had been knocked out and who lay on his back, unconscious, a few feet away in the soft sand.

"You're the one who destroyed Thrax," Ronny stated as they all powered down. "You know what they say. No good deed goes unpunished."

From the edge of his field of vision, the Sentinel Knight caught movement. Mack was regaining consciousness.

"Guys, what in the world is going on here?" he asked, pushing himself up into a sitting position with one hand while his other hand clutched the back of his head.

"That's what I'd like to know," Dax responded, looking at Rose expectantly. "What's wrong with him?"

"Of course," Rose said, smiling smugly. "During our last fight with Flurious, we were all infected. Mack went on to sacrifice himself, but then he was made human by the Corona Aurora, he became whole. No more circuitry, no more programming and no more seeds of evil waiting to blossom. He's as pure as the driven snow. Disgusting, really."

"Damn," Dax commented. "Well, I guess that means we're gonna have to kill him," he continued with a shrug before he casually strolled off in his car's direction.

"Sentinel Knight?" Mack called out, the fear in his voice audible.

But there was nothing the Knight could do. The other Rangers had known just how much damage he could sustain without actually being destroyed and that was exactly how far they had gone. He was down for the count.

"Here's the deal, babe," Ronny said sweetly with a smile. "Before being destroyed, Thrax left a little device behind. Flurious used it and we all ended up with a little something dark inside of us, something deliciously wicked, and a bunch of memories. Well, at least until you became, well, you know, tainted. That little something was dormant in the rest of us. Until today."

"Now, the first thing we were supposed to do was destroy the Sentinel Knight," Will continued. "He destroyed Thrax, the one who recreated us. Then, we were going to wipe out Adam and the others who helped us defeat Thrax. Then, the Rangers who helped the Sentinel Knight put Thrax away the first time. And finally, every other living Ranger on this planet."

"Since you're clearly not with us," Dax said as he made his way back, an ornate knife in his right hand, "I guess that brings you at the top of our list, along with the Sentinel Knight."

"Cool knife," Ronny commented, eyeing the blade appreciatively.

"Thanks," Dax replied excitedly. "I had it modeled after a prop from the first movie I was given a major role in. I was in scenes with Carolyn Pickets, that actress from the space colony."

"First things first, though," Will said, ending his teammates off-topic rambling as he reached for his tracker. "It's time to finish the Knight."

"Hold that thought," Tyzonn stated, speaking for the first time since their arrival on the beach, a sinister smile on his lips. "The Sentinel Knight isn't going anywhere. I say we make this extra memorable for him."

"No, please don't," the Sentinel Knight begged, barely able to lift his head enough so that he could make out Will and Dax grab Mack by his arms. The Red Overdrive Ranger tried to shake them off, but since he'd lost his super strength when he'd been made human, his efforts were futile.

"Don't you just love it when history repeats itself?" Tyzonn whispered into the Knight's ear, loudly enough to be heard over Mack's screams as Ronny advanced to face him, taking the knife from Dax. "You didn't save him ten years ago, and you won't save him now."

"Goodbye, lover," Ronny said, smiling sadly as she used the knife to slice his shirt down the middle, exposing Mack's chest.

"Ronny, you can't do this, you have to fight it," Mack pleaded, terrified, his eyes fixing the blade which hovered inches away from his chest.

The Yellow Ranger's answer was drowned out by Mack's screams and their teammates' laughs as she drove the blade through his chest. Powerless to do anything to save him, the Sentinel Knight tried to drown out the sounds, closing his eyes, hoping his end would come soon.

It wasn't long before everything around him was quiet, save for the sound of the surf breaking on the shore. Opening his eyes, he saw Mack's body on the sand several feet away, face turned in his direction, eyes devoid of the hope, joy and life they'd always been so full of.

"What do we do with the body?" Rose asked, kneeling down by its side.

"Dump it in the ocean," Tyzonn said. "No one's going to find him until it's too late."

"Nah," Will stated. "We want him to be found. The death of the Red Overdrive Ranger is going to bring them all to us, make our job that much easier. Ronny, you'll streak into an alley in town, drop the body."

"You got it," Ronny said, nodding once before she looked in the body's direction. "Dax, what the hell?"

"This is just to screw with their heads a bit," Dax claimed cheerily as he carved something on Mack's lower torso. "It's the mystical symbol the killer carved into his victims in the movie I was in. It'll make them think this was mystical, Ranger-related, draw suspicion away from us."

"Fine, just hurry," Will ordered before he walked over to the Sentinel Knight. "Now, what to do with you? Let's see, we could just finish you off, but this was really fun. Tell you what, on the anniversary of Thrax's defeat, we're gonna have ourselves a little massacre. If you think you have what it takes to stop us then, you can come to our celebration. In the meantime, I think we'll send you on a nice little trip to the Cave of Despair."

* * *

_San Angeles - June 19th 2009_

"We might have a little problem," Tyzonn declared softly as he entered Andrew Hartford's study, shortly before the start of Mack's funeral.

"Why? What's going on?" Will questioned him as he looked at Mack's Overdrive tracker, which he held in his hand. Reaching behind him, he grabbed the Drive Lance which lay on Hartford's desk so he could offer it to Tyzonn. Next to him, Rose, who had been staring at her pink rose, raised her eyes and gave the Mercurian a questioning look.

"The Red Rangers who are going to be carrying the casket," Tyzonn continued, "I think one of them might be onto us."

"Bridge?" Will asked. "Nah, too trusting."

"Not Bridge," Tyzonn corrected. "Cole, the Red Wild Force Ranger. The moment I stepped into the room they were assembled in, he started to look at me, like he could feel that something was off."

"Wait a minute," Rose slipped in. "Cole Evans, he's the one who was able to sense that Orgs don't have hearts."

"Damn," Will whispered. "We're gonna have to keep an eye on him."

"Or give him a more interesting target," Rose offered with a small smile, taking in her teammates' curious looks. "I overheard a little exchange between Andros, the Red Space Ranger, and Ryan Mitchell, the Titanium Ranger. Ryan was worried about Karone, asking Andros how she was feeling, considering the anniversary of the day she almost destroyed the universe was coming up. Apparently, she's been having trouble sleeping lately, nightmares about Astronema returning. Maybe I could get into her head a bit, turn her into our scapegoat, buy us some time."

"I love the way you think," Will acknowledged, gazing absently ahead. "If Karone starts slipping, all those special types, their eyes are going to be on her. It's her distress, her fears, her guilt that they're going to sense. Start working on her as soon as you can, but remember you'll need to keep an eye on the Rangers who are going to be looking into Mack's death, to make sure they don't find anything before the time is right."

"They're ready for us," Dax announced as he stepped into the study to join them. "Ronny's with Hartford and Spencer, giving an Oscar-worthy performance as the grieving fiancée. You guys set for this?"

"Yeah, let's go," Will replied, taking one last look at Mack's tracker before he headed for the study's entrance, followed closely by Tyzonn and Rose.

"Showtime," Dax whispered excitedly as he exited behind them.

* * *

_Angel Grove - June 20th 2009_

Cloaked in shadows between two small boats, Dax kept a watchful eye on Cole, who was sitting alone on a dock, a stray dog lying by his side. Ever since the funeral, the Overdrive Rangers had all become wary of the Wild Force Rangers' leader, sensing that Tyzonn was right about his suspicions. Luckily however, the particular attentions Rose had been paying Karone had seemed to be paying off, sufficiently so that Cole appeared to pay quite a bit of attention to the former villainess whenever he was in her vicinity.

Dax tried to hold back a chuckle when his mind wandered off to the other diversion that was currently still playing in their favor. It seemed that everyone was caught up in the 'mystical' nature of Mack's death, all because of the symbols he'd etched in the former Red Ranger's skin. He found it laughable that neither the Mystics nor their allies had realized the carvings had no meaning whatsoever.

Gazing down at his watch, he shook his head, wishing he could simply call it a night. After all, with the Rangers' final stand quickly approaching, he needed to rest up. Looking back up in Cole's direction, he realized that the chances of him realizing the Overdrive Rangers were behind Mack's death in time were slim to none. Cole was no threat to them, not at this point.

Dax was standing up and debating whether he should sneak away when a thought crossed his mind, making him smile wickedly. He could always claim that Cole had figured it out, say that he'd had no choice but to kill the other Ranger. They'd have no way of verifying that information, no way of discovering that he'd decided to veer off their careful crafted plans in order to have some fun.

As silently and as stealthily as he could, Dax made his way back to the docks. Soon, he was standing behind Cole and the dog. For a few moments, neither was conscious of his presence there, until the dog seemed to feel Dax's predatory gaze resting on it. The small animal turned its head towards him, its eyes surprised and fearful as they locked on Dax's. The Blue Overdrive Ranger jumped away just as the dog became agitated, getting Cole's attention.

Dax landed in the shadows of a large container. Soon, he saw Cole jog away to an open area that was better lit, followed by the dog, who kept getting louder. Carefully, Dax navigated the shadows and the spaces between objects to get closer to them while remaining unseen.

Seeing Cole pull his cell phone out of his pocket, Dax knew that he needed to act quickly. Accessing his genetic powers, he threw himself high in the air. Coming down with a thud, he realized that he'd miscalculated, landing several feet behind his target. By the time Cole turned to face his direction, he was already back in the air, certain that his trajectory would land him just behind his target.

Cole had only spoken a few words to Taylor when Dax hit the ground. This time, when he turned, Dax was ready for him, smirking as he knocked his cell phone out of his hands. He then grabbed him by the jacket and jumped upward, savoring the fear and realization in Cole's eyes.

* * *

Rose was standing a few feet behind Kendrix in the Megaship's lab, invisible, watching intently as the Pink Galaxy Ranger leafed through the various documents and photographs before her. Rose, who was supposedly out exploring Angel Grove with her teammates, had been keeping a watchful eye on her for several hours.

Kendrix was now intently studying the photographs that had been taken of the carvings on Mack's chest. At that moment, Rose had to admit to herself that Dax's idea had been good. Everyone had been fooled by the so-called 'mystical symbols'.

"Something's wrong," Kendrix whispered to herself, drawing Rose's attention. Carefully, she moved closer, to get a clearer look at a photograph Kendrix had just put down on the desk. On it was a post-it where Kendrix had previously jotted down that dark spells were augmented when the markings involved were made on a living being.

_So much for Dax's idea being good_, Rose thought to herself, rolling her eyes even as she realized that Kendrix had quite likely come to the conclusion that the 'mystical death' had been nothing but a mislead.

Rose quickly cast any worries aside however, when she saw Kendrix turn her attention to the clippings related to the anniversary of Dark Specter's defeat. Since the Overdrive Rangers had decided they would try to deflect suspicion onto Karone, Rose had not only worked to try and get into the other girl's head, she'd also been busy trying to leave information pointing towards her involvement in Mack's murder. Earlier that day, when she'd supposedly been helping out in the lab with some research, she'd managed to leave several clippings lying around, and now she'd get to find out whether her ploy had worked.

"Okay," she heard Kendrix say to herself. "Rykon. What was so special about you that she had to see you? You arrived on Terra Venture, pretending to be Shondra. You pretended to be Maya's friend."

Rose smiled to herself, seeing where Kendrix's reasoning was taking her. Along with the other Overdrive Rangers, she'd understood the meaning of Maya's dream the instant she'd heard the details. _Come on, Kendrix_, she thought to herself, willing the original Pink Galaxy Ranger to connect the dream to Karone.

"Oh no," Kendrix whispered, apparently reaching the desired conclusion. Rose barely had the time to congratulate herself however, as the other woman's attention turned to her computer screen. Looking over the other woman's shoulder, Rose saw she was accessing a new e-mail, coming from a woman named Carolyn Pickets. _The actress Dax worked with on that movie_, she thought. _This can't be good_.

When Kendrix clicked on the first link provided to her, a picture of the same symbol Dax had carved in Mack's skin appeared. It was a promotional shot from the movie he'd been involved in. Taking in the image, Rose's eyes opened wide in surprise. It was still too early for the Rangers to figure out their plans. Carefully, she started to pull the dagger they had killed Mack with out of its sheath.

Kendrix then accessed the second link that was included in the e-mail. It was a listing of the individuals who had been involved in the movie. Rose's eyes were immediately drawn to a single name in the list: _Dax Lo_. It was at that moment she realized Kendrix needed to be silenced, permanently. Reaching in her pocket, she grabbed a small device that she then activated, disabling all nearby cameras.

Before Rose could do anything, Kendrix brought her transmorpher up to her mouth. "Maya?" she said into it, even as she clicked an icon on her screen. In the lab's far corner, the printer came to life, emitting a low humming sound as pages started to go through it.

"Kendrix, what's going on?" her teammate answered, worried, Maya having seemingly caught on to the urgency in Kendrix's voice.

"I think I've figured out who's behind this," Kendrix replied as she started to make her way to the printer, not realizing that Rose was following her. "You aren't going to believe it. Meet me in the lab."

"Cassie's with me. We're on our way," Maya replied.

The moment the communication went dead, Rose shoved Kendrix from behind, causing the other woman to fall on the floor with a surprised cry. Turning to face her assailant, the last thing Kendrix saw was Rose's blade as it seemingly moved of its own accord, aimed at her heart.

Once she was certain that Kendrix was no longer a threat to her and the other Overdrive Rangers, Rose quickly made her way to her laptop. Wasting no time, she inserted a memory key in one of the slots its side and uploaded a virus to the system. Once the virus was activated, it took only seconds for all the information on the laptop to be wiped clean.

Rose was about to go retrieve Kendrix's printouts when she heard the lab door slide open.

"Kendrix?" Karone called out as she stepped inside.

Karone quickly found her friend's lifeless body on the floor. The moment she did, she rushed to her side, checking for a pulse, trying to stop the bleeding, getting her hands and clothes covered in blood in the process. Rose smiled gleefully, seeing she had a golden opportunity to put everything that had happened on Karone's back.

"I told you that you'd kill them all," she whispered, just loudly enough to be heard, "that they'd all die because of you… Astronema."

"No, no, this can't be happening," Karone pleaded, cradling Kendrix's body in her arms.

"But it is, and it's all your fault," Rose continued, a bit more forcefully. "As long as you live, Astronema will live on within you. The only way to keep them all safe is for Astronema to die, for you to die. But you don't have the strength to make that happen, do you, Karone?"

Rose smiled when she saw Karone's features harden. Reaching for the device she had used to disable the cameras, she deactivated it, knowing that the first thing they would capture would be the image of Karone, covered in Kendrix's blood.

Karone let go of Kendrix's body and stood up. As she made her way to the lab's exit, Rose followed her. And when the door opened to let her out, Rose was right behind her.

* * *

_Angel Grove - June 21st 2009_

"It's done," Ronny said to Rose once she'd snuck back in through the dojo's bathroom window. "I set up that device you said would take D.E.C.A. offline and trap the three brainiacs onboard. And, for good measure, I took care of their wheels. All in less than five minutes, transportation included."

"Good," Rose replied, relieved. "Now, even if they get their hands on Kendrix's printouts, they won't be able to get the information out to the others in time. We should be just fine. Ready to get back out there?"

"Almost," Ronny answered as she splashed some water on her face and soaped her hands clean. "Just give me a few seconds."

"In a matter of hours, it'll all be over," Rose said softly with a smile.

"And you say that like it's a good thing," Ronny replied with a smirk as she dried herself up. "I sorta want to make this last as long as I can."

"Well, I guess we can have some fun with them," Rose acknowledged with a smile before they stepped out of the washroom and rejoined the rest of their team.

* * *

_Angel Grove - Now_

"And that's pretty much how it happened," Rose stated, smiling gleefully. "That's how we were transformed into the instruments of your impending destruction and how we managed to pull the wool over all of your eyes."

"Sentinel Knight?" Sky asked, shooting their ally a questioning look.

"It is the same information I obtained while I was being held in the Cave of Despair," the Knight confirmed, still weak from his encounter with Lily's animal spirit and from the constant exertion linked to keeping the Overdrive Rangers prisoner.

"Are the Overdrive Rangers still in there?" Sky continued.

"They are," the Knight answered. "You see, Thrax felt that turning these heroes into murderers and monsters would be a fate even crueler than death. And so, they are trapped, and helpless, unable to control their own actions, yet they are witnesses to all the death and destruction they cause."

"There has to be a way to undo it," Dustin spoke up, "to free them from this spell they're under, to bring our friends back."

"There's a way to reunite you with your friends, all right, Dustin," Will sneered. "I'm just not convinced we have the same thing in mind."

"Shut up," Rocky ordered menacingly, glaring at the Black Overdrive Ranger, anger rising within.

"Tough guy, huh?" Will teased. "I can't wait to see how you'll fare against us once we break free. We're gonna have ourselves a blast."

"Don't let him get to you, Rocky," Aisha told her best friend in a soothing tone, stepping up next to him and placing a comforting hand on his arm. "They're not going anywhere."

"That's where you're wrong, vision-girl," Ronny announced. "Why do you think we told you all about the events that led to this moment?"

"They were trying to buy time!" Trip called out from where he stood amidst the Time Force Rangers, drawing everyone's attention. The gem on his forehead was glowing brightly. "Something's coming!"

"Oh no, the Sentinel Knight," Sky whispered to himself, returning his attention to their ally. His eyes widened when he saw one of his team's former nemeses materialize a few feet behind him. "Behind you! Scorpina!"

But his warning came too late. Scorpina had charged up her blade and slashed it against the Sentinel Knight's back. With a loud cry, he fell to his knees. At the same time, the Overdrive Rangers found themselves freed from their confines.

"It's time to say good night, Knight," Will sneered, reaching for his tracker.

"Evil will never win," the Sentinel Knight swore. Before the Overdrive Rangers could morph to finish him off, he held out his arms and, letting out a deafening scream, he exploded into a wave of energy.

* * *

Up on the cliff overlooking the quarry, the RPM Rangers were taking in the events that were unfolding before them.

"What just happened?" Scott asked.

"Big shiny metal guy just blew himself up," Ziggy answered.

"Thanks for stating the obvious, Ziggy," Scott replied. "I mean why would he do that?"

"Um, guys?" Gem called out, looking down at his Sky Shift Morpher's display.

"What is it, Gem?" Dillon questioned him, taking his eyes away from the scene in the quarry, where it seemed like the gathered Rangers were also asking themselves the same question.

"That energy wave,-" Gem started.

"-it restored all our powers," Gemma finished.

_To be continued…_

_

* * *

And after a not so short wait, End of Days has returned, with an extra-long chapter that was extra-difficult to write. A lot has happened, and now it's time to shed some more light on some of the revelations that have been made._

_First off, what was up with Thrax and the Countdown to Destruction and those five 'other' veteran Rangers (six if you count Kendrix)? Essentially, the answer is this: End of Days, while it works perfectly well as a standalone story, is part of a bigger puzzle, that will be made up of 4 major stories and a few smaller ones._

_The first big story, which is also currently playing itself out, is __Power Rangers: Countdown__, which delves deeper into the Countdown to Destruction. In that story, in the next arc I'll be writing actually, I'll be fleshing out the Andrew Hartford/Sentinel Knight/Thrax storyline I briefly exposed in this chapter's flashbacks. The second big story will be the bridge between __Countdown__ and __End of Days__ and will focus on Master Vile's post-Countdown quest and the team formed by Sky, Kim, Rocky, Dustin, RJ and Kendrix. The third big story is __End of Days__. The fourth big story, well I'm not giving anything away on it._

_In terms of the smaller stories that will tie in with these bigger ones, right now, the most promising is __Bring Me to Life__, a Ryan Mitchell fic with ties to __Power Rangers: Countdown__. If you haven't seen it yet, there's also __Daughters__, a small two-shot focusing on the Mitchell family._

_Now, while these stories will all be connected in some ways, you don't have to read them all. They enhance each other, but it's not going to be 'essential' to read every one of them to simply enjoy one._

_A big thank you to everyone reading, and also to everyone who's commented since Chapter 15 went up: davesamo, Original-Red-And-Pink-4ever, SlothKeeper, Red Shadow Ranger, taylorearhardtmyers, 100TenMillion, Lina, hbkeezy92, Traitor-Hero, CMWin, red neo ranger, Shotokan Master, The Flaming Crosby, LoneWolfVampire13, Michelle, Puggles Master, MagCat, the true elec, Drachegirl14, GemmaUzumaki and xdreamernumbuhfour! There is no letters column this time around since the chapter is already huge and long overdue, but as always, every review/comment gets an elaborate response, so hit the review button._

_And if you haven't done it yet, subscribe for story alerts or author alerts to find out exactly when a new chapter comes out!_

_**Trivia on Chapter 16: **_

_First, Scorpina was a bit of a last minute addition. Initially, the Overdrives were simply going to overpower the Sentinel Knight's energy bindings and destroy him. _

_Second, at the beginning of the chapter, where Lily summoned her animal spirit to take out the OOs, the initial version had Taylor taking Jack's blaster and going after Dax._

_Finally, and this is a bit of a spoiler for Countdown, but in the scene where Mack was killed, Ty tells the Sentinel Knight that he was unable to save Mack 10 years ago and that he won't save him now. Here's the deal. During the Countdown, Andrew Hartford was attacked by Thrax. At that occasion, he lost the most precious thing in the world to him, his son, Mack. (Eventually, he rebuilds a new, older Mack, with the hopes of making him human with the Corona Aurora) That's why, during the funeral in Chapter 8, he placed a book on Mack's casket, the "first book to truly capture Mack's imagination as a child". That's also why Spencer had reservations about Hartford going to Angel Grove for the memorial in Chapter 9. _

_**Coming up on End of Days:**__ All the morphers have been activated and now it's time for the biggest battle yet as the Overdrive Rangers and Scorpina take on everyone else. Will the Overdrive Rangers be defeated? Will more Rangers pay the ultimate price? And um, isn't there supposed to be a huge explosion in the quarry that wipes everyone out soon? Or are the RPM Rangers going to be able to make a difference? So many questions. We'll start answering them next time…_


	17. Dawn of Destiny

_**Chapter 17  
**_

_**Dawn of Destiny  
**_

___(Original Posting Date: March 21st, 2010)_

* * *

Much like everyone else in the quarry, Conner had been taken off guard by the sudden attack on the Sentinel Knight. What had surprised him even more, however, had been the Knight's apparent self-sacrifice and his oath to the effect that the forces of good would prevail.

As the energy wave caused by the explosion had washed over him and all those nearby, Conner had hopefully gazed in the distance, at the spot where Kira's body was resting. Rangers had died in the past, only to be brought back to the realm of the living. Perhaps that had been the Sentinel Knight's aim, and maybe he'd had the power to do this, to give his life for the lives of those fallen. As the seconds had dragged on, Conner's hopes had slowly begun to fade, a single tear rolling down his cheek.

When he finally managed to look away from Kira's fallen form, Conner noticed Taylor, standing quietly amidst her teammates. It seemed as if the same thoughts that had occurred to him had crossed her mind. While all her friends' attention remained focused on the Overdrive Rangers, the Yellow Ranger looked in the opposite direction, eyeing Eric's still body expectantly.

"Conner," Ethan called out to him to be heard over the voices of all those surrounding them, "something's happening."

Shifting his attention to his teammate, Conner saw that Ethan was looking at the Dino Gem he held in the palm of his hand. It glowed brightly, reminding Conner of the day he, Ethan and Kira had first stumbled upon the sources of their powers.

Conner reached into his pocket to retrieve his Dino Gem, seeing Trent do the same thing. Sure enough, both had a similar intense glow.

"He powered up our Dino Gems, like he did with Kira's when he recruited her to protect the crown," Conner concluded, exchanging a glance with Ethan and Trent. "We have full access to our powers."

"It would actually appear that all our powers have been restored," Billy informed the remaining Dino Rangers as he momentarily stepped away from his own teammates, holding a small red ruby in his hand.

All around them, there were suddenly bright bursts of light as their allies tapped into the powers of the Morphing Grid.

"Time for some payback," Trent stated sternly, getting a nod from Ethan.

"No," Conner cut in forcefully before his teammates could morph. "That's not what Kira would have wanted. We stick together, we take them down, but we don't take them out. The Overdrive Rangers are still in there, somewhere, and we owe it to Kira and the others to try to save them."

"For Kira then," Ethan said. Next to him, Trent nodded his reluctant approval. The three Rangers' gems then disappeared and their morphers appeared on their wrists.

"Ready?" Conner called out.

"Ready!" Trent and Ethan echoed.

"Dino Thunder, power up! Ha!" Conner and Ethan intoned.

"White Ranger, dino power!" Trent followed.

* * *

"Let's rocket!" Ashley, Cassie and TJ called out in unison before they called on their powers using their Astromorphers. A few microseconds and a flash of light later, they were all covered in their suits, ready to take on their enemies once again.

"You three go on ahead, and stick with the Galaxy Rangers!" Andros ordered his team, watching as Damon, Kai, Maya and Mike ran past them. "I'll be with you guys in a few seconds. And be careful."

"You got it," Ashley answered before turning towards Cassie and TJ. "Let's go!"

Andros' gaze lingered briefly on his wife as she led their friends back into the fray. He hated to send her off like this, even though he trusted TJ and Cassie to watch over her. He'd be back by her side soon though, as soon as he addressed the other thing that was on his mind.

"Zhane," he told his best friend, who was standing by his sister's side, "I need you to get Karone to safety. She doesn't have any powers she can use. That makes her a perfect target for the Overdrive Rangers."

"Shouldn't I be fighting with you guys, though?" Zhane asked, his loyalties torn between the woman he loved and wanted to keep safe and the team he had fought beside and who had come through for him time and again.

"Andros, you don't need to worry about me," Karone told him. "I can hold my hold my own, powers or not."

"I know, but we'll manage," Andros answered. "We'll be more focused if we know you're safe. And without powers, safe is a good distance from all of this."

"Did someone say something about powers?" Leo asked as he came up behind Zhane and Karone, unmorphed.

"Leo, why aren't you with the rest of the team?" Karone questioned her former teammate.

"Because we're one member short," he said, holding up a Quasar Saber and offering it to Karone.

"Kendrix's saber!" Karone exclaimed, noticing the wildcat emblem on the blade's hilt immediately. She took it from Leo and, as the saber began to glow with pink energy, a Transmorpher materialized on her wrist.

"I never believed it was you who killed Kendrix," Leo said, looking Karone in the eyes. "The others didn't either. So I held on to her Quasar Saber, figured that she'd want you to have it. If you're up to it, we could use your help."

Karone looked Andros in the eyes and, at that moment, seeing the unwavering resolve in them, he realized that there was no way he would get her to sit on the sidelines. He also came to understand that she needed to be involved in the upcoming battle, that regardless the dangers, she had to be given the chance to fight by her friends' sides.

"What'll it be, Karone?" he asked his sister, knowing her answer before she even spoke the words.

"You already know it," she answered with a small smile. "You all do. Besides, with me thrown into the mix, that means we'll be able to summon the Lights of Orion."

"That's right," Leo confirmed. "The Lights can only be activated when the five Galaxy Rangers are together."

"So, now that Karone brings your numbers back up to five, that puts the greatest target on the members of your team," Andros commented, feeling wary once again.

"That's okay," Zhane said, apparently sensing Andros' renewed anxiety. "We'll draw the Overdrives' fire and let the Galaxy Rangers knock them down."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Leo said flashing them a determined and confident smile. "Ready?" he asked Karone, who simply nodded.

"Go, Galactic!" they both called out, activating their Transmorphers.

"Let's rocket!" Andros and Zhane continued.

Soon, the four Rangers were making their way down to the area where their teammates were busy taking on Tyzonn.

* * *

"Rocky, wait!" Aisha had cried out as she had tried to hold her best friend back. The instant Rocky had realized all powers had been restored, he'd summoned his Zeonizers and intoned his morphing call. Now, he was charging alone in Will's direction, his twin Power Axes in his hands.

Aisha ran back into the crowd of Rangers, making her way to her former teammates, hoping to warn them of Rocky's reckless move before he got himself killed. She shouldn't have worried however, as even before she reached them, she crossed paths with Kat and Tanya, both carrying their Zeo weapons as well as they headed in Rocky's direction. Behind them were Justin and Billy, both with blasters drawn.

She reached Jason and Trini at the same time as Zack, who carried two morphers in his hands.

"Those aren't…" Aisha began, eyeing the devices suspiciously. "Please tell me they're not."

"Sorry Aisha," Zack told her, handing her the morpher he'd just retrieved from Kimberly's body, "but it's not like we have that many options if we want a shot at surviving this." In his own hands, he held the morpher Adam had used during his final battle against Will.

"So, what's the deal with the morphing call again?" Aisha asked, stalling.

"It doesn't matter, really," Jason answered, reaching for his morpher. "Pterodactyl, Pink Ranger Power, the morpher'll do the exact same thing."

"Okay," Aisha acknowledged, trying to chase away the butterflies in her stomach.

"It's morphin' time!" Jason called out, holding his morpher at arm's length in front of himself.

"Mastodon!" Zack shouted.

"Pterodactyl!" Aisha continued, following Zack's lead.

"Sabertoothed Tiger!" Trini yelled.

"Tyrannosaurus!" Jason finished.

They were already running towards the others when their power weapons appeared in their hands, seemingly out of thin air.

* * *

"It's time for us to get into this, guys," Dillon stated, looking up from his Rev Morpher's display screen. "Time's running out and I don't think we'll get a better opening than this."

Taking in his teammates' expressions, Dillon could see that Gem and Gemma were anxiously awaiting an opportunity to jump into the fray and that Ziggy seemed somewhat fearful yet resigned to do what needed to be done. Flynn was quiet yet ready to assist those in the quarry, while Summer appeared somewhat conflicted, for reasons that should have been obvious to him.

"Scott?" Summer asked, placing a hand on their leader's shoulder. "What do we do?"

Dillon kept an eye on Scott as the Red Ranger looked down at the scene in the quarry then at his team.

"We know what we're getting into," he said to the team's leader. "We know that there's a chance not all of us will walk away from this one. We can't not do this. We can't not try."

"Fine," Scott replied, after a brief moment of silence, resigned. "But we stick together and watch each others' backs at all times. Got it?"

Dillon nodded once, catching the others doing the same.

"Just as a precaution, I'll morph first," Scott said. "Make sure our powers really are functional."

Dillon watched quietly as Scott retrieved his Engine Cell Morph Chip and slipped it into his Cell Shift Morpher. Everything seemed normal at first, but just as Scott was preparing to intone the call command, it emitted a long beep.

They were all surprised to hear Dr. K's voice coming from the morpher. "Rangers," she started, "if you're hearing this, then that must mean something has gone terribly wrong and you have been cut off from me for reasons out of our control. I can therefore no longer remotely activate or recharge your morphers."

"Uh-oh?" Ziggy asked, sharing a worried glance with Summer.

"Nevertheless, your morphers have all been programmed with a failsafe that is to be automatically activated in such circumstances. This failsafe will allow them to tap into the universal bioelectric field in order to be fully recharged one last time and it will also allow you to morph without the remote activation of your morphers."

"Therefore, bear in mind that your powers are limited and use them wisely. And come back to me safely, Rangers. I love you all."

When Dr. K's message ended, Dillon scanned the faces of his teammates. Where, minutes ago, there had solely been resolve and determination on each one of them, now he saw uncertainty, an uncertainty he felt as well.

"What now?" Scott asked, turning to look back at the scene in the quarry, where the Rangers and their allies were making their final stand.

* * *

"V-Lancers, Spectra Blast!" Carter called out, aiming his weapon towards the sky. A few moments later, five colored beams of light surged out of the V-Lancers he and his team carried, meeting several feet in the air to form a glowing golden V.

"Now!" Carter ordered, lowering the barrel of his blaster, followed by the other Lightspeed Rangers, causing the energy discharge to speed towards their target: Scorpina.

Sky looked on as the energy projectile tore through the air in her direction. He was shocked to see Scorpina make no attempt to dodge the blast or teleport away. The villainess simply stood there, smiling confidently. Just as it was about to slam into her, she held her sword out, using it to momentarily absorb the energy sphere. Even though she seemed to struggle, Scorpina was able to redirect the energy sphere, sending it right back in the direction of the Lightspeed Rangers.

"Move!" Carter yelled to his team even as he jumped to the side, pushing Dana out of harm's way. Simultaneously, Joel and Kelsey ran in the opposite direction.

"Chad! Get out of the way!" Ryan shouted. The Blue Lightspeed Ranger was positioned to face the energy sphere head-on and he was standing still, seemingly frozen in place. It was only when Chad quickly looked over his shoulder that Sky realized why he wasn't moving. A dozen feet behind him, the Ninja Storm and Jungle Fury teams were fighting Ronny. If Chad moved out of the way now, it was most likely going to hit their friends.

Hoping he wouldn't be too late, Sky waved his hand before him, holding his breath as, a few feet in front of Chad, a force field appeared. He looked at it expectantly, willing it to hold up to the rechanneled sphere of energy, which had doubtlessly been augmented with Scorpina's own powers. But the field wasn't strong enough and it shattered on impact, the sphere going right through it, barely slowing down as it continued on its trajectory, connecting with Chad's chest with so much power that he was thrown back a dozen feet in a large explosion.

While Joel and Kelsey ran to check on their teammate, who lay still on the ground, the rest of the Lightspeed Rangers, Sky and the surviving members of B-Squad made their stand against Scorpina.

"Did you seriously think that would be enough to destroy me?" she asked, her eyes on Sky. "I've only gotten more powerful since my last encounter with you and your misfit group of Rangers, Sky. And speaking of which, I'm so sorry about Kimberly. I wish I could have killed her myself. That's okay though, I'll just have to settle for another pink Ranger."

Before any of them could react, Scorpina held out her armored hand and shot a fiery beam of energy in Syd's direction. This time, Sky knew he wouldn't have time to summon a force field. As he watched, helpless to do anything, he was surprised to see Ryan throw himself in the beam's path, taking the hit that had been meant for Syd. The Titanium Ranger let out a loud scream as he landed on the ground, but he was soon back on his feet, standing between the Pink SPD Ranger and Scorpina.

"A momentary setback," Scorpina said with a mischievous smile.

"You're going down," Sky called out, unsheathing his Shadow Saber, running towards her.

"Black is such a better color on you than red, Sky," Scorpina declared as their swords met with a loud clang and a small burst of sparks, "but you're still way out of your league."

"We'll see about that," Sky answered, focused on his fight. He lunged forward, slashing the saber with all his strength. But the blow never connected as Scorpina leapt in the air, landing behind him. The next thing he felt was her blade slashing against his back, making him feel like all his nerve endings had been set on fire.

"You put so much energy into that force field," Scorpina whispered in his ear as she took him in a chokehold from behind, "I knew it wouldn't take much more to bring you down."

"Sky!" Syd called out in alarm when his powers failed him, leaving him unmorphed in Scorpina's clutches. "Let him go!"

"How badly do you want him to live, pinky?" Scorpina taunted her, the tip of her sword resting against Sky's throat. "Would you give your life for his?"

"Syd, don't listen to her!" Sky ordered.

"Step out of your hiding place and power down, and the Shadow Ranger walks," Scorpina offered.

"Don't do it, Syd," Sky commanded forcefully, wincing as the blade nicked him, feeling the warmth of his blood as a few drops trickled down his neck.

"I'm sorry, Sky," Syd said as she took a step forward, away from the others, bringing her left hand up to her chest. "But I can't lose you. Not again."

"Syd, no!" Sky yelled as she powered down, struggling in vain to free himself from Scorpina. Looking at the woman in front of him, he saw the tears streaming down her face, the fear in her eyes, which had nothing to do with her own safety but with his, and finally, as his eyes wandered down to the hand clutched over her heart, he saw the wedding ring that he had given her on the day he had vowed that he would be hers forever.

"Say goodbye," Scorpina whispered in his ear before she shoved him to the side.

"Syd!" Sky screamed when Scorpina fired a single beam of energy aimed at the Pink Ranger's heart. When the beam struck, she was thrown back several feet, landing on her back amidst the other Rangers, a thin wisp of smoke rising into the air.

_To be continued..._

_

* * *

Yay! A normal-length chapter! Heh. Yeah, the last few have been a bit on the long side, so I thought I'd give everyone a little break with something less heavy. Still, there were some fun developments._

_The main purpose of Chapter 17 was in establishing the power sources of certain Rangers who didn't have powers anymore at the end of their seasons, like the DT Rangers and Karone. Also, there had to be a little explanation for what powers the original Rangers would be using. Hopefully, this chapter clarified that._

_Also, the RPM Rangers. I didn't want them to be all-powerful, for reasons that will become clearer as the story progresses, so I set some clear limitations to their powers and the extent to which they could use them. It complicates their coming decisions somewhat because if they use their powers, they need to make it matter. They can't waste them._

_Finally, the Lightspeeds and SPDs against Scorpina. We needed some action in this chapter, beyond some morphing. And it gave me a chapter ending worthy of 'End of Days'._

_Coming up, let's see. I'll tease you all with chapter names._

_Chapter 18: Fight Against Fate_

_Chapter 19: As Time Runs Out_

_Chapter 20: Destiny Defeated_

_A big thank you to everyone reading and also to all those of you who've written since Chapter 16 went up: Michelle, Red Shadow Ranger, Original-Red-And-Pink-4ever, ImaSupernaturalCSI, 100TenMillion, taylorearhardtmyers, Traitor-Hero, SlothKeeper, ANARCHY RULES, I HAVE NO NAME!, Puggles Master, Ms. Fairweather, AFANFORYOU, the true elec & Stumble!_

_Now, to respond to some of those questions..._

_Michelle asked about the Carter/Dana scene with the force field that was included in the trailer. This will still happen. It's going to be a scene that will resonate very strongly with everyone, I'm pretty sure._

_ImaSupernaturalCSI made a comment about Will's attitude in the last few chapters. If Will's an a$$, then I'm writing this correctly. The reason why I've placed him in charge of the team is that it's the role he seemed to have in Overdrive, as Mack's second-in-command. More so than every other season, it seemed to me that Overdrive did have that strong secondary figure. So, with Mack not a part of this evil plan, Will gets to lead..._

_Traitor-Hero mentioned Scorpina. Her appearance here has led to some confusion, so Cliff-notes version: After the Countdown to Destruction, she was a part of Master Vile's entourage until he was destroyed. After that, she stayed under the radar until the time was right to strike at the Rangers. And we'll soon find out she's been busy since Mack's death..._

_SlothKeeper asked about Mystic Mother. No plans for her right now, although we might be visiting Rootcore in a few chapters to catch up with Clare, Itassis and Matoombo..._

_ANARCHY RULES asked about having more Leo. And so I gave Leo a nice little moment this chapter with Karone._

_Puggles Master nailed the big question that will be plaguing the Rangers over the course of the next chapter (and later too). Do you try and save the Overdrive Rangers at the risk of losing more Rangers and allies? Or do you try to take out the Overdrive Rangers to keep everyone safe even though the Overdrives are in there somewhere, not controlling their actions? What to do?_

_Finally, to clarify something about the OOs following Stumble's comment. The Overdrives aren't in a cave somewhere. They're in their bodies, only they're not in control. They're unwilling witnesses to the destruction they're causing._

_Until next time, remember to hit the 'review' button!_

_Power down!_


	18. Fight Against Fate

_**Chapter 18  
**_

_**Fight Against Fate  
**_

___(Original Posting Date: April 4th, 2010)_

* * *

_Author's note: So far, I think I've done a pretty decent job of providing the twists and turns and the roller coaster of emotions that make End of Days what it is. Now, here's my challenge to all of you loyal readers. I think it would be beyond awesome if PR: End of Days could be the dramatic equivalent of the comedic awesomeness that is 'Of Love and Bunnies'. So, let's rack up that review count! I'm not expecting to hit the same levels (OLaB currently has 111 chapters and 4041 reviews), but let's see what kind of record we can set here for a dramatic series. _

* * *

"Syd!" Sky cried out, watching helplessly as the rest of B-Squad gathered around their fallen teammate while Carter, Dana and Ryan positioned themselves to hold off Scorpina.

"I'm going to kill off all your friends, Sky," Scorpina declared, casting a look towards him, smiling smugly, "just like I did with your little Pink Ranger. Make you watch while they all go down."

"Not if we have a say in it, you won't," Carter vowed, running forward, V-Lancer in hand, followed closely by Dana and Ryan.

Scorpina laughed as she countered their attacks and connected with several hits that caused sparks and smoke to fill the air. Soon, despite their best efforts, the three Lightspeed Rangers were down, leaving the path to the rest of B-Squad unobstructed.

Upon witnessing the fall of the Lightspeed Rangers, Jack, Sophie and Z launched themselves at the villainess, their Deltamax Strikers drawn and ready. As Sky watched them face off against Scorpina, he could see them holding back in their attacks. They wanted her to gain the upper hand. It wasn't long before all three were struck down, unmorphed, just like Carter, Dana and Ryan.

"I'll deal with your friends soon enough," Scorpina said, taking her eyes off Kelsey and Joel, who were trying to get Chad away from the battlefield, giving her undivided attention to the seven unmorphed Rangers before her. "But first, I'm going to put and end to your lives."

"Actions speak louder than words," a voice called out from behind her. "And so far, your track record at killing us? It sucks."

As Scorpina spun on her heel, she found herself face to face with Syd. The Pink Ranger still held her hand over her chest. It was smoking slightly, its diamond texture catching the rays of the sun.

"What? You think that rock on her finger is just for show?" Sky now taunted Scorpina even as Syd slashed her diamond hand across the villainess' face, drawing blood as she sliced a deep gash across her cheek.

Scorpina staggered back, her hand going up to touch the cut on her face, a hint of fear in her eyes as Syd stood across from her, determined.

"You think I'm tough without my powers?" Syd asked with a smirk, pulling out her Delta Morpher. "Wait until you see what comes next. SPD, Emergency!"

* * *

"I told you we'd get to dance soon, Dustin, didn't I?" Ronny called out as she swung her Drive Claws with all her strength at the Yellow Wind Ranger, having finally managed to isolate him from the rest of his friends, the Jungle Fury Rangers, Jarrod and Camille. The Drive Claws clanged loudly against the metal of Dustin's Lion Hammer, but it was obvious to the Yellow Wind Ranger that he wouldn't be able to hold this up for much longer. He still hadn't fully recovered from the stand he'd taken against Ronny when he and Jack had tried to save Tori and the others.

"And you should know I like to keep my promises," she continued, swinging at him again, relentless. "I'm going to reunite you with Tori, Kendrix and Kimberly very soon. I have to admit, when I discovered why you did it, why you joined that team, I found it all too touching. It's a shame that, in the end, it was all for nothing."

"Shut up!" Dustin screamed, the pain in his voice unmistakable as he went on the offensive, swinging his Lion Hammer at Ronny with all his might. His vision was blurring up, tears filling his eyes as his thoughts went back to his best friend.

Lashing out in anger, Dustin was caught off guard when Ronny swung her own weapons with just as much energy. This time, when her Drive Claws connected with the Lion Hammer, it was knocked out of his hands, leaving the Yellow Ranger unarmed, knowing that his Ninja Sword wouldn't give him an advantage.

A powerful kick to the stomach sent him crashing against the quarry's rock wall. When he fell to the ground, Dustin looked up to see Ronny approaching him, her weapons held high in the air.

"Time for that reunion, Dusty," she stated, swinging the Drive Claws down.

Dustin closed his eyes tightly, waiting for a hit that never came. When his eyelids finally parted, he saw why the Drive Claws had never met their intended target.

Jarrod and Camille stood on each side of him, both in their armored forms. Each of them held one of Ronny's arms, which they'd managed to intercept in mid-swing, much to her surprise and disappointment.

"That's enough bloodshed," Jarrod told her as he and Camille pried the Drive Claws out of Ronny's hands.

Before the Yellow Overdrive Ranger could retaliate, Shane came up behind her and grabbed her by the shoulder, causing her to turn around to face him.

"You're not laying a finger on Dustin, or on anyone else here, for that matter," he vowed, backing away and aiming his Hawk Blaster at her.

When he fired his weapon, Ronny rolled out of the blast's range, only to find herself standing amidst Casey, Lily and RJ.

"Well, what do you know?" she called out, apparently trying to assess her situation. "You losers seem to be capable of forming a plan and carrying it through. Damn."

The three Jungle Fury Rangers circled her for several seconds, none of them seeming intent on facing her.

"Now!" Cam called out, causing them to simultaneously move away from Ronny.

The Yellow Ranger spun around, but was unable to anticipate the next attack quickly enough as a ball of energy fired by Hunter and Blake with the Thunder Blaster struck her in the chest, sending her flying back.

* * *

"We can't get close enough to land a hit as long as he keeps using that thing!" Trip called out even as he dodged another blast from Dax's Drive Vortex. The Blue Overdrive Ranger was using it both to keep himself out of reach high in the air and to keep the Rangers at bay.

"Keep trying," Jen ordered her former teammate, realizing that Wes was still too shaken by Eric's death to lead the Time Force Rangers and that, for all their sakes, she needed to step up. "He's bound to slip up at some point. And when he does, we move in, hit him with our best shot."

"You're about to get your opening," Merrick announced as he pointed up to the sky.

Jen looked up towards Dax and saw that he was so focused on what was happening on the ground that he didn't realize Taylor was headed straight for him. When he did, it was too late. The Yellow Wild Force Ranger slammed into him, and he lost his hold on his Drive Vortex, which plummeted down to the ground, followed by its owner.

Dax barely had the time to get back to his feet when he was overpowered by Danny, who grabbed his arms from behind and held him still as Max and Alyssa slashed their weapons across his chest.

When Danny let go of the Blue Overdrive Ranger, Dax simply fell to his knees, significantly weakened by the Wild Force Rangers' attacks, an easy target for the Time Force Rangers who were gathered behind the Vortex Blaster.

"Lock on target!" Jen called out, standing amidst her teammates, aiming the blaster at the fallen Ranger. "Fire!"

* * *

"You're going to have to come up with something better than that old trick to get the best of us," Madison exclaimed, pointing her Mystic Morpher at the thick blanket of steam that concealed Rose. When the blue tendril of energy that came out of it pierced through the thick fog, it all instantly cleared up, leaving the Pink Overdrive Ranger visible to all.

Udonna watched from a distance as the three remaining Dino Rangers attacked Rose. She immediately saw the restraint with which they were fighting, the efforts they made to parry and block the Overdrive Ranger's strikes while inflicting as little damage as possible.

"Do they really believe that she can be saved?" Daggeron asked, standing at her side.

"Hope springs eternal, I guess, old friend," Udonna replied, smiling despite the sadness she felt at the loss of Leanbow, looking on as they were joined in their efforts to rein in the Pink Ranger by Chip, Madison and Vida.

As the circle of Rangers tightened around her, Rose held out her Drive Geyser and, pointing it to the ground, she fired it, propelling herself up and away from the small group.

"You should have stayed there," Nick called out. He was standing alone opposite the Pink Ranger, holding his Mystic Lion Staff out before him. "Now you get to pay for what Tyzonn did to my father."

"No," Udonna whispered, seeing him dial the two on his staff, realizing that he wasn't planning on simply weakening the Pink Ranger but that he planned on unleashing the full fury of his powers on her, powers that he had yet to fully master, as the Code 2 attack was normally meant to be performed by a team and not a single individual.

"Code 2! Fire Storm!" Nick called out, ignoring his teammates' protests, causing a portal to slowly open at the tip of his Mystic Lion Staff. The tear in the fabric of time and space expanded slowly, releasing bright burning swirls of red energy.

"She isn't going to survive this, Udonna," Daggeron commented next to her. "Not after all the hits she's already taken. And I don't think Nick is ready to have another person's blood on his hands, regardless the circumstances."

Daggeron's observation went unanswered as Udonna summoned her Snow Staff, aiming it at Rose. Almost instantaneously, white tendrils of energy shot out of its tip at the Pink Overdrive Ranger, who quickly found herself stranded in the middle of a miniature blizzard.

"What are you doing?" she heard Nick call out angrily as he unleashed his own attack at Rose, his fire storm blocked by the blizzard. "They killed dad."

"I cannot let you cross this line, Bowen," she answered calmly, using the name that she and Leanbow had originally chosen to give their son when he had been born, continuing to feed the blizzard with her powers the entire time, struggling to keep Rose shielded from Nick's fiery inferno.

"Koragg found his way to the path of good, Nick," Madison added, approaching her boyfriend slowly, flanked by Vida. The Rocca sisters had both called on their Legend Warrior powers as well and they were using their Lion Staffs to augment Udonna's protection of their enemy with their water and wind based powers. "Do you really believe that the Overdrive Rangers are beyond being saved like your father was?"

"They killed him, Maddie!" Nick shot out. The pain and the anguish in his voice were unmistakable. They were also very uncharacteristic of the young man who had led the Mystic Rangers against the Master and his forces.

"We know that, Nick, and we know you're hurting inside, more than any of us can possibly imagine. But you're not a killer!" Madison desperately pleaded with her boyfriend, echoing Udonna's thoughts.

"They need to be stopped," the Red Mystic Ranger insisted, though his tone was less aggressive at this point and more sorrowful, Madison's words having effectively gotten through to him. Even the intensity of his attack seemed to have diminished somewhat.

Udonna was still pouring energy into her blizzard spell when the Blue Mystic Ranger powered down and started to walk towards her son. She could feel that, although Madison and Vida were no longer contributing to the elemental shield surrounding Rose, said shield was no longer threatened by Nick's fire storm, the strength of which was gradually fading.

When Madison finally reached him, Nick, physically and emotionally drained, powered down and walked into his girlfriend's arms, seeking comfort in her embrace.

Knowing that Nick was no longer a danger to Rose or, more importantly, to himself, Udonna turned her full attention to her prisoner. Soon, the blizzard trapping the Pink Overdrive Ranger was no more, replaced instead by a localized hail storm. Lumps of ice crashed into Rose from all sides and it was only when she fell to the ground, her powers giving out, that Udonna stopped feeding the hail storm spell.

* * *

"You can't possibly be serious about this," Leo attempted to reason with Andros upon hearing the Red Space Ranger's plan. "This'll kill him!"

"It's the only merciful thing we can do at this point," Karone agreed with her brother as they watched the Mercury Ranger square off against the rest of the Space and Galaxy Rangers. "I don't like it any more than you do, Leo, but Tyzonn is stuck in there, a spectator watching helplessly as his body destroys everything he's fought so hard to protect. Trust me, he'll welcome death, like I did after Dark Specter reprogrammed me."

"None of us want to do this," Andros acknowledged, "but we have to look at the greater picture. The Overdrive Rangers won't be content with simply wiping us off the face of the Earth. We're the only thing standing between them and the planet's complete destruction. That has to be our first priority."

"Fine," Leo conceded, realizing that they didn't really have a choice. Even though he desperately wanted to believe that the Overdrive Rangers could be redeemed, both Karone and Andros had brought up points that he knew couldn't be ignored.

They joined the others just as Zhane landed a direct hit in Tyzonn's back with his Super Silverizer. He, the other Space Rangers and Mike formed a tight circle around the Mercurian, as Andros had instructed them to keep their foe away from the Galaxy Rangers at all costs in order to make it possible for them to summon the power of the Lights of Orion.

Tyzonn barely had time to recover before he was hit with successive blasts from the Satellite Stunner, the Star Slinger and the Magna Blaster. The smoke hadn't even cleared when TJ came at him, slashing down his Astral Axe fiercely.

On Leo's cue, the rest of the Galaxy Rangers gathered around him and Karone. "We're ending this," he said simply. "There's no other way."

His teammates remained silent, but they all nodded, resigned to the inevitable outcome of their battle against the Mercury Ranger.

Near them, Andros had let loose with a blast from his Spiral Saber in booster mode, paving the way for the attack that was meant to end the threat posed by Tyzonn.

"Lights of Orion, activate!" the Galaxy Rangers called out even as they ran as a group towards the Mercury Ranger, who was still recovering from Andros' attack.

"Power-up mode!" they continued. Leo felt the power of the Lights transform him into pure energy and soon, he and his teammates were as one, forming a large fireball that surged forward, going right through Tyzonn.

The instant he rematerialized, Leo turned around to take in the effect of their strike. The Mercury Ranger stood perfectly still for a few moments before falling to the ground in a massive explosion.

Looking to the spot where their adversary had been standing, Leo could make out Tyzonn's body lying facedown on the earth. The Mercury Ranger was no more.

* * *

"Rocky, are you okay?" Aisha asked as she helped the Blue Zeo Ranger get back to his feet.

"Will just got a lucky shot in, that's all," Rocky answered, picking up his Zeo Axes as he prepared to go after the Black Overdrive Ranger once again.

"Just be careful," Aisha warned him, worry in her voice. "I've already lost Adam. I can't lose you too."

"You won't," Rocky promised before they both charged back into the fray.

They reached the others just as the Black Overdrive Ranger was preparing to bring his Drive Slammer down on a fallen Billy's chest, with the obvious intent of shattering the Ruby that powered the Phantom Ranger.

The original Blue Ranger needn't have worried however, as Will was tackled in mid-swing by the Pink and Yellow Zeo Rangers, who were able to push him back several feet.

Will quickly pushed Kat and Tanya off, but the rest of the Rangers were instantly on him, striking at him in rapid succession with their weapons, managing to land some hits although most were blocked by the Black Overdrive Ranger with the length of his Drive Slammer.

Eventually, Will successfully broke away from the group long enough to bring his Drive Slammer down with all his strength amidst the group of Rangers, creating a shockwave powerful enough to send them all flying, causing a few of them to demorph in the process.

Rocky was quickly back on his feet, however, and he rushed the Black Overdrive Ranger, to the latter's surprise, launching himself into a spinning heel kick that knocked the Drive Slammer out of Will's hands. It was clear that the other Ranger hadn't been expecting anyone to come at him with such vigor and determination. But the Blue Zeo Ranger was driven by his rage and sorrow over the losses of his closest friends and teammates, Adam, Kimberly, Tommy and Kendrix and those feelings eclipsed any compassion he might have had for the Overdrive Rangers' plight.

With Will unarmed, Rocky pressed his advantage, relentlessly slashing away with his Zeo Axes, dragging them across the surface of Will's suit, drawing showers of sparks and surprised and pained shouts every time he connected with his target.

Rocky kept the upper hand, not giving Will any openings until finally, the Black Overdrive Ranger fell to the ground, demorphing, his Overdrive Tracker rolling several feet out of his reach.

"You just ran out of luck," Rocky announced, bringing the Zeo Axes down on the depowered Ranger, intent on taking the life of the leader of the Overdrive Rangers,

What would otherwise have been a killing blow was blocked by what had once been his own weapon.

"You're not doing this, Rocky," Jason said, his Power Sword keeping the Zeo Axes away from Will.

"Out of my way, Jason," Rocky warned, fury rising within him as he found himself stopped by his former teammate.

"We don't kill," Jason insisted.

"Well that's great," Will slipped in, rolling back and out of Rocky's reach, grabbing his Overdrive Tracker in the process. "But I get a sense you'll regret that mercy. Overdrive, Accelerate!"

Before Jason and Rocky could reach him, Will was morphed once again, his Drive Defender drawn out in its saber mode.

"Time to cull the herd a bit," he claimed, hefting the weapon for a few moments as he took in the worried faces of the Rangers that had been depowered because of his previous attack. "Oh, this is just perfect."

The Black Overdrive Ranger then threw his Drive Defender, putting all his strength into the motion. Rocky could only watch, helpless to do anything, as it soared through the air, its path unmistakable, until it lodged itself in his best friend's chest.

"Aisha!" Rocky cried out, seeing her body fall to the ground.

* * *

"They're regrouping," Flynn observed as the RPM team watched the four surviving Overdrive Rangers and Scorpina gather together, surrounded by all those still standing.

"One blast with the RPM enforcer is all we need to take most of them out," Dillon offered.

"Scott?" Summer asked, tentatively reaching for her Engine Cell. The Yellow Ranger was torn at the prospect of using her powers to end the lives of individuals who had once defended the planet. At the same time, the loss of life on the battlefield below and the further damage that could be caused couldn't be ignored.

"Something's off," Scott said simply. "They're making themselves into one big target. Easy to wipe out, like it wouldn't matter either way."

Before any of them could reply, the Overdrive Rangers' vehicle sped into the quarry, no one at its wheel, stopping half a dozen feet away from those gathered around the Overdrive team and Scorpina.

"We're too late," Summer stated, realizing that the Overdrive Rangers' humvee was most likely rigged to cause the explosion that was meant to lay waste to the quarry and everyone gathered there.

* * *

"So you took out Ty," Will stated, clapping slowly as he looked towards the Space and Galaxy Rangers. "Impressive. But we grow tired of these games."

"Over the last few days," Rose continued, "Ronny and I made a few upgrades to our team's wheels."

"And as soon as I let go of this button," Ronny announced, holding a small remote activator she had pulled from her jacket pocket, "you'll have sixty seconds until our humvee explodes, wiping out anyone standing in a two mile radius."

"I told you we were gonna have ourselves a blast," Will said to Rocky, motioning Ronny to activate the bomb before he disappeared in a burst of light, along with his teammates and Scorpina.

_To be continued...

* * *

_

_Wow, a new chapter in just under two weeks. I'm currently giving myself a little pat on the back._

_I enjoyed writing this last chapter a great deal. There were a lot of cool things spread throughout, and I'll quickly touch upon them now._

_1) Syd is alive! I really liked the idea of using her genetic powers in this way, to save her from Scorpina's blast. Also, we got to see the SPD Rangers really working together with the goal of giving Scorpina a false sense that she had the upper hand so Syd could get the drop on her. One of my favorite twists in the story so far? Definitely. And I would have given almost anything to see a morphed Syd going up against Scorpina at the end of that scene._

_2) Ronny vs. Dustin. My favorite part here was Ronny's verbal attacks on the Yellow Wind Ranger. Hate her for doing this to him, but it's definitely the way to go when dealing with a person with as much heart as Dustin. Ronny referred to what made him join the team also made up by Sky, RJ, Kim and Rocky. Another hint related to Dustin will be dropped later on, but the whole story will eventually be revealed in a Ninja Storm-centric story. Oh, and the awesomeness of Ronny getting owned by the combined efforts of the NS and JF teams. Yay for flawless teamwork!_

_3) Dax vs. Time Force and Wild Force. What I liked most in this particular scene was seeing Jen step up in Wes' place. And Taylor getting the drop on Dax._

_4) Mystic Force and Dino Thunder vs. Rose. I think this was taking Lily's outburst from Chapter 16 to a new level, only this time it was with Nick. I loved exploring it, to an extent, through Udonna, the other person most affected by Leanbow's death, and Madison, who managed to talk down the hotheaded Ranger. And visually, it would have been very cool.  
_

_5) Space & Lost Galaxy vs. Tyzonn. I knew an Overdrive Ranger needed to fall at some point before the end of this battle. Tyzonn pulled the short straw, and so he went up against the Space and Lost Galaxy teams. Why these two? I needed a combination of teams that would be ready to do what was necessary and that could pull it off. Andros, leader of the Space Rangers, was the one willing to sacrifice Zordon's life to save the universe. As for the LG team, they're one of the few teams that are still playing with a full roster, and so they can pull off some big stuff, like the Lights of Orion._

_6) Rocky vs. Will, with Aisha as the ultimate casualty. I can't say much about this one except that Aisha's death at this point wasn't a random choice made to have a good Ranger casualty in the chapter. This death will cause some major ripples down the line._

_7) RPM Rangers. Methinks that Scott and the others might want to get in their cars and try to get as far as they can, as fast as they can..._

_8) The countdown begins. So, going from what Ziggy told Dillon, everyone in the quarry is meant to die. What will happen? Will the RPM Rangers finally get involved and will it make a difference? Find out next time, in a chapter that could only be named 'As Time Runs Out'.  
_

_As always, thanks to everyone reading. Special thanks to those who have commented on the most recent developments since Chapter 17 went up: SlothKeeper, taylorearhardtmyers, Michelle, Original-Red-And-Pink-4ever, SilverDragonRanger09, Puggles Master, Rita, the true elec, Traitor-Hero & Pinkyy. And a very special thank you to thepowerrangergirl who blitzed through the entire story last week while commenting on almost every chapter posted._

_Until next time, remember to hit the 'review' button and help make this fic as big as 'Of Love and Bunnies'! (I can dream, right?) And speaking of 'Of Love and Bunnies', Happy Easter to all those who celebrate the holiday and remember that reviews are a way better gift than chocolate!  
_

_Power down!  
_


	19. As Time Runs Out

_**Chapter 19  
**_

_**As Time Runs Out  
**_

___(Original Posting Date: August 8th, 2010)_

___

* * *

Author's note: Chapter 19 is finally here. Sorry for the wait and thanks for sticking with the story. You won't regret it...  
_

* * *

"The bomb's in that humvee," Flynn stated, voicing the same conclusion all the RPM Rangers had come to, watching as Rose addressed everyone gathered in the quarry.

"We have to do something, and it has to be now," Dillon said with urgency, apparently using his enhanced abilities to pick up the Pink Overdrive Ranger's words. "It's set to go off sixty seconds after activation. It'll wipe them all out. And us too."

"What we have to do is get out," Scott declared grimly, realizing that the fate of all those standing below was sealed and that any attempt on their part to help could only increase the death toll. "There's nothing we can do for them now."

"Scott…," Dillon started to protest.

"It's an order, Dillon, not a suggestion," Scott said with authority. "Take Ziggy, Gem and Gemma and bolt. We'll follow. We survive this, we'll figure out a way to fix it. I swear."

"Dillon, go," Summer echoed as, below, the Overdrive Rangers and Scorpina vanished.

Scott noticed the looks his teammates gave each other. While the Black Ranger seemed conflicted, his jaw clenched, the Yellow Ranger nodded at him reassuringly. After a few moments, his features relaxed and he turned around, running off to his car, followed silently by the other three Rangers.

For a few seconds, the three original RPM Rangers stood silently, watching a small group that had gathered around the humvee, most likely to assess the threat posed by the bomb and attempt to defuse it. They knew from the history records that any attempt they made would be futile, that none of them was meant to make it out of the quarry alive.

They then exchanged a look that spoke volumes more than any words could. As Scott processed his teammates' expressions, he knew there was nothing he could say to change what would happen next. His eyesight fogged up briefly as an Engine Cell Morph Chip was pulled out of its casing and inserted into a Cell Shift Morpher. Even as its user prepared to access its power for the last time, the other two Rangers made a run for the car that, with a little more time, would safely take them out of the explosion's range.

* * *

"With its components, it's at least as destructive as Rose said it was, if not more," Sophie confirmed as she stood a few feet away from the humvee, her hand held out before her as she scanned the bomb. Several Rangers were gathered around her, including Billy, Cam, Ethan, RJ and the remainders of the SPD and Mystic Force teams.

"Can it be defused in time?" Sky asked, holding the detonator left behind by Ronny, looking at the small display that showed the time remaining before detonation. When he'd picked it up, it had read 0:57, but luckily for them all, it seemed to be running slower, every second equaling two seconds in real time.

"Negative," Sophie responded, squinting as she used her cybernetic enhancements to see through the car's body. "It's going to blow if we try anything."

"So we put as much distance between ourselves and this thing," Jack stated, "hope our powers hold up."

"Morphed and at full strength, you'd be safe outside the two mile radius, Jack," Sophie told him. "The Overdrive Rangers weakened us for a reason. We need to get much farther if we want to live through this."

"Unless we can contain the blast to an extent," Udonna suggested, exchanging a glance with Daggeron before the two Mystics nodded once in Sky's direction.

"And what about the two of you?" Nick asked, the fear in his voice obvious.

"I'm sorry, Bowen," Udonna answered sadly, seemingly resigned to her fate.

"We'll contribute to the spell, we can make it stronger," Nick pleaded.

"Not after exerting so much energy against Rose," Udonna sadly responded. "Now go. Your powers are still needed. Seek the Xenotome."

"You heard her," Sky intervened, forcing the end of the exchange between Udonna and her son. "Everyone make a run for it and don't stop for anything!" he called out, loudly enough to be heard by everyone.

"Sky, let's go!" Syd implored him, as all around them, Rangers and allies broke into a run to escape the quarry.

"I can't," Sky told her sadly. "My genetic powers can help strengthen the force field, I have to stay behind. Bout you're gonna fix this. Make it right. I believe in you. And I love you. Now go."

Even as Syd reluctantly took off with the rest of the SPD Rangers, Sky stepped between Udonna and Daggeron, taking another glance at the small device in his hands. They had just under a minute to go.

"Just like old times, isn't it?" Udonna asked him from his right.

"We really have to stop meeting like this, Udonna" Sky joked, trying to lighten up the mood as he kept his eyes on the device in his hands, calculating that they had another forty five seconds to go. "When we're down to ten seconds, we're pouring everything we've got into this force field."

"I do not believe that, even with all our combined power, we will be able to contain the blast sufficiently," Daggeron said sadly. "What the others need is more time."

It was then that Sky heard it, a loud explosion coming from above, on a cliff overlooking the quarry. Seconds later, a figure skidded to a stop a few feet away from him and the Mystics.

"Why don't I use my powers to suspend time around that bomb for a little bit, buy your friends a little more time to reach safety?" Flynn asked, extending his hand.

* * *

"Come on, guys! We have to keep moving!" Conner encouraged Ethan and Trent as he ran alongside his teammates. All around them, Rangers and allies alike were giving it their all to reach a safe distance before the explosion.

"Conner, forget about us and use your super speed," Ethan got out between breaths. "It has a good chance of getting you out of the blast's reach in time."

"I'm not leaving the two of you behind," Conner replied. "We're a team. We get through this as a team."

"Or we die through this as a team," Trent remarked. "Conner, the more people survive this, the better the chance of stopping the Overdrive Rangers and fixing this mess. Listen, Ethan's Dino Gem will give him an extra level of protection against the explosion, even if his powers fail him. I managed to get through our fight against Rose mostly unscathed, so my powers might hold. Your best shot at making it is super-speeding away from here."

"If you survive," Ethan added, "you get a shot at finding a way to bring Kira and Dr. O back."

Conner remained silent as he pondered his friends' words. For a few more moments, he maintained his speed, but he soon realized that they were right. He needed to look at the bigger picture. If either Ethan or Trent or even both of them were also casualties of the blast, then it would be up to him to do everything in his power to bring them all back. And that also applied for everyone else who had lost their lives since the Overdrive Rangers had been turned.

Without another word to his teammates, Conner tapped into the powers of his Dino Gem and sped away. In a matter of seconds, he found himself pulling away from the cluster of Rangers. There was no doubt in his mind that he would be able to get far enough, that he would get a chance to fix it all.

Conner was pulled out of his thoughts by a sight that made him stop dead in his tracks and double back in the direction of the quarry.

* * *

"The Mystics and Sky are going to try their best to contain the blast, Dom," RJ's voice updated the Rhino Ranger through his helmet's audio feed as he and Fran continued to run away from the quarry.

"How far away from the bomb do we need to get in order for Fran to be safe?" Dominic asked the Wolf Ranger, realizing that his girlfriend was barely keeping up with him. Sensing she wouldn't be able to continue much longer, he scooped her up in his arms and continued to run, picking up the pace.

"Farther than you can get to in the time remaining before the explosion," RJ answered. "Even with powers, we're not guaranteed to walk away with our lives. I'm sorry, Dom. There's no way for her to make it through this."

"What did he say?" Fran asked him hopefully. "Are we almost out of the bomb's range?"

"Yeah," Dominic lied to her, holding back tears. At that moment, he was grateful for the helmet that hid his features. He knew that hope was the only thing keeping Fran going and under no circumstances did he want her to lose that for whatever time she still had to live. "But we need to keep moving."

* * *

When the final verdict on the bomb's inevitable and devastating explosion had been delivered, Shane had wasted little time figuring out his team's next course of action. For him, the priority had been to get his teammates to safety and he'd known then that it was a possibility with their ability to streak at extreme speeds for a sustained period of time. If they were all able to get to safety, that meant at least five Rangers who would be able to stand up to the Overdrive Rangers and Scorpina in the hopes of righting things.

With that in mind, he had given his teammates the order and taken the lead, running off. After several seconds, he had slowed down significantly to let the others pass him, in order to ascertain that they had all followed his command. Almost instantly, he had caught sight of three figures moving past him, colored blurs of crimson, navy and green.

"Damn it, Dustin," he had whispered under his breath as he had accelerated once more and doubled back in the quarry's direction, streaking past all those who had survived the battle against the Overdrive Rangers and Scorpina and who were now attempting to reach safety.

Upon reaching the quarry, Shane headed right for the spot where Tori had fallen in battle against Rose. Just as he'd suspected, that's where he found the Yellow Wind Ranger. Unmorphed, kneeling by their friend's side.

"C'mon," he heard Dustin plead as his hands hovered a few inches above the wound in her chest. He could barely keep them still and Shane could tell, from the tears and the beads of perspiration rolling down his friend's face, that he was exhausted, both physically and emotionally.

"Dustin, you can't bring her back," the Red Wind Ranger finally said once his visor had slid to the side to reveal his face. His words didn't seem to register with the other Ranger however and it was only when he placed his own hand on his teammate's shoulder that his friend finally noticed his presence.

"It's not working, Shane," Dustin responded apologetically as he looked up at the leader of the Ninja Storm Rangers. "I can't fix her this time. I don't know why."

"It's okay, Dustin," Shane comforted his friend. In the distance, he could see that the Mystics and Sky had begun to pour their respective energies and powers into a force field. Within the field, by the humvee, there was another Ranger, this one unfamiliar to him. He seemed to be doing something to the bomb. Regardless, time was still running out. "You'll bring her back. Just not this way."

"What do you mean, _I'll_ bring her back?" Dustin asked, drawing Shane's attention back to the Yellow Wind Ranger.

"There's not enough time left to streak away," Shane replied, resigned to his fate. These were his final moments, but they didn't have to be Dustin's as well. They couldn't. "I'm not going to make it, Dustin. But you can."

"No, Shane," Dustin begged, fresh tears falling, "you can't leave me too."

"Listen to me, Dustin," Shane spoke firmly as he fought the emotions that were threatening to overtake him, "you've always been the hopeful one, the one who made us all believe, at the end of the day, that things were going to be okay. You never gave up and you never let any of us give up either. You were our team's rock and that's what I'm going to need you to be for the others. You can fix this. You'll find a way. You'll bring us back. I believe in you. Promise me you won't give up."

"Shane, I…" Dustin mumbled, his lips quivering.

"Promise me," Shane said more forcefully as he pushed his own fears aside in order to let Dustin see that he truly did believe in him. His words seemed to have the desired effect as his friend wiped away at his tears and nodded at him once, resolve clear in his eyes.

"I promise," Dustin vowed as he stood up to face him.

"Alright, Dustin," Shane spoke with a smile, at peace with himself now that he knew his friend would make it through this. "When that bomb goes off, you know what you need to do."

* * *

The Overdrive Rangers and Scorpina were gathered in Thrax's underground lair. Although their fights against the Rangers and their allies had left them all injured and worn out, not to mention short one Overdrive Ranger, they all stood before a series of screens on which images of the quarry appeared, relayed by satellite and by a camera planted in the humvee.

None of them had been surprised to see the surviving Mystics choose to stay behind. They had actually been counting on it. It was the reason they had attempted to take one of them out early on. Had Udonna and Daggeron been assisted by Leanbow, there was no doubt that they would have been able to contain the blast completely and that no lives would have been lost. But with only two Mystics standing, and following Udonna's important power usage in the Mystic Rangers' battle against Rose, it was certain that the Mystics efforts would be insufficient in averting the end of Zordon's legacy.

"Game over, Rangers," Will had whispered with a satisfied smirk as he had turned away from the monitors, having picked up a sharp dagger off the table where the screens were set up. He had then slowly started to walk towards a woman tied to a chair in a darkened corner of the chamber. Her worried gaze had alternately shifted from his face to the blade he'd been holding. Scorpina had managed to capture her before she had joined them at the quarry, an insurance policy of sorts, to be used in the event the Rangers survived the explosion in the quarry. But that wasn't going to happen.

"Please don't do this," she had pleaded with the Black Overdrive Ranger as she had tried in vain to pull free from her rope bindings.

"I'm afraid we have no further use for you," Will had answered coldly as he had closed the gap between them. Once he had reached her side, he had pressed the dagger against her throat. He had sensed the fear radiating from her. He'd then dragged the blade down until it had rested just over her heart. "It's over."

"Will, hold up," Rose called out to him. He eased the pressure on the dagger even as he turned to his teammate. "Something's up."

"What is it?" he asked, eyeing the other Ranger.

"A new player seems to have entered the playing field," Rose replied as she busied herself on the keyboard before her. "No one we know. He's not in our databases. Most likely, he's from the future. And according to these readings, he's not alone. I'm picking up six other energy signatures linked with the morphing grid, all speeding away from the quarry."

"And where is he?" Will questioned, taking a step away from their prisoner and towards his teammates.

"He's right by the humvee," Rose answered, baffled.

"Must have a death wish," Dax sneered. "What an idiot."

"He's doing something to the bomb," Rose continued. "He seems to be capable of generating some kind of time manipulation field. He's momentarily frozen it."

"Buying them all time to get away," Ronny said, speaking the words that were on all their minds.

Will was silent for a few moments, thinking of their next move. If this stranger's actions meant survival for the Rangers, or a certain number of them, then they'd need to bring their game up a notch.

"I guess we might be in need of your assistance after all," he said calmly with a smirk as he looked at their prisoner intently. "Scorpina? Do it."

Will, along with the other Overdrive Rangers, all watched with anticipation as Scorpina advanced towards their prisoner. When she was close enough, she took the dagger Will handed her and sliced it across her arm. As the Black Overdrive Ranger stepped behind the woman, holding her still, Scorpina forced her to drink her blood.

It wasn't long before the transformation began. Soon, the woman was free of both her restraints and her humanity, another weapon at the disposal of the Overdrive Rangers. This was just the beginning however, Will thought as he held a necklace in his hand, his eyes fixed on the blue crystal hanging from it.

* * *

Thoughts raced through Summer's head at the same impossible speed as their car. Once Scott had ordered the others away, having told them there was nothing that could be done for those in the quarry, one look at Flynn's expression had made his intentions crystal-clear to her.

Looking to the side, she could tell that Scott was blaming himself for their friend's sacrifice. The Red Ranger was quiet, his eyes on the horizon, tears rolling down his face. Summer had seen him like this once before, when she had tended to his wounds upon their return to the city of Corinth, following a fierce battle in which he had lost his brother, Marcus.

"This isn't your fault, Scott," she told him, fighting her own tears as her thoughts went to Flynn, "he always had a hero's heart. You and I both know that. No matter how hopeless the cause, he was always willing to do whatever it would take if it meant helping others. Always willing to bypass orders to do what he felt was the right thing."

"I'm team leader, Summer," Scott replied, his voice cracking slightly. "I'm supposed to lead you all into battle. But I'm also supposed to bring you all back safely at the end of the day. I let Flynn down. I messed up, we missed our opening, and now Flynn's going to pay for that mistake with his life. Just like Marcus did."

Summer was about to respond to Scott's words when she heard a loud thunderous crash. Turning around in her seat, she was able to glimpse a giant ball of fire forming in the distance, where the quarry was. The bomb had gone off.

_To be continued... _

_

* * *

_

_After a hellishly long wait (which won't happen again), another chapter finally goes up, and the bomb planted by the Overdrive Rangers finally goes off. Will Flynn's actions be sufficient to change the course of history and reduce the casualty count? Will your favorites walk away unscathed or will they be among the casualties of the explosion? What did Conner see that made him double back? Who is the Overdrive Rangers' latest ally? All these questions and more will be answered in Chapter 20, entitled 'Destiny Defeated'._

_Chapter 20 will most likely be the midpoint of the story. In its aftermath, the story will shift in a completely different direction, one with just as many thrills and surprises as you've gotten used to from this story..._

_A few nuggets, related to this chapter and some of the things said in reviews for chapter 18..._

_On Flynn's actions: We got to see it in 'Ranger Blue', Flynn's got a hero's heart. It doesn't matter if a situation seems or is hopeless, he'll jump in and try to make a difference. It's definitely sad to lose him, but it's a fitting end to his character arc in 'End of Days', considering it was completely selfless and it might be sufficient to make a difference._

_On Dustin wanting to fix Tori: I mentioned a Dustin-centric fic that leads to him becoming part of that special team of Rangers with Kim, Rocky, Sky, RJ & Kendrix. This is just another reference to that story, which I hope to get started on soon..._

_On Udonna telling Sky that 'It feels like old times': This is a reference to an encounter between the two characters during the events of Countdown to Destruction, which I'll get to eventually in my retelling of that story over in Power Rangers: Countdown..._

_On the effects of Aisha's death in chapter 18: Expect this to lead to a division among the surviving Rangers after two old-school Rangers go head-to-head, in a future chapter most likely called 'A Rift in the Rangers'._

_Until next time, I want to thank everyone who's been reading so far and everyone who's been sending reviews. Since the last chapter went up, particularly, thanks to kay249, mobobby, Red Shadow Ranger, Michelle, penguin-STRUT, ImaSupernaturalCSI, RPM Shadow, ANARCHY RULES, Lina, HellsGate969, MagCat, Traitor-Hero, SiverDragonRanger09, Harley McCoy, xdreamernumbuhfour, the true elec, SlothKeeper, andyg2525, thepowerrangergirl, taylorearhardtmyers, ae1102, rk68 & barfmaster..._

_See you all again very soon, and in the meantime, feel free to review and/or message me with comments and questions!_

_project314  
_


	20. Destiny Defeated

_**Chapter 20**_

_**Destiny Defeated**_

_(Original posting date: January 1st, 2011)_

* * *

_Author's note 1: This chapter goes out with much love and fondness, appropriately enough, to the memory of Peta Rutter, who played Udonna on Mystic Force and who passed away last July._

_Author's note 2: __Here's a refresher on the casualties so far:_

_Mack (Chapter 5)_

_Cole & Kendrix (Chapter 10)_

_Tommy (Chapter 13)_

_Kimberly, Leanbow, Carlos, Theo & Eric (Chapter 14)_

_Bridge, Kira, Xander, Tori, Adam (Chapter 15)_

_Sentinel Knight (Chapter 16)_

_Tyzonn & Aisha (Chapter 18)_

_

* * *

_

_Previously, on Power Rangers: End of Days…_

_-EoD-  
_

"_As soon as I let go of this button," Ronny announces, holding a remote activator, "you'll have sixty seconds until our humvee explodes, wiping out anyone standing in a two mile radius."_

_-EoD-_

"_So we put as much distance between ourselves and this thing, hope our powers hold up," Jack suggests, standing with a group of Rangers near the humvee._

"_Morphed and at full strength, you'd be safe outside the two mile radius, Jack," Sophie informs him. "The Overdrive Rangers weakened us for a reason. We need to get much farther if we want to live through this."_

"_Unless we can contain the blast to an extent," Udonna suggests._

_-EoD-_

"_When we're down to ten seconds," Sky tells Udonna and Daggeron as they stand by the humvee, "we're pouring everything we've got into this force field."_

_-EoD-_

"_Why don't I use my powers to suspend time around that bomb for a little bit, buy your friends a little more time to reach safety?" Flynn asks, extending his hand once he reaches Sky, Udonna and Daggeron._

_-EoD-_

_As Dom runs away from the quarry, with Fran in his arms, he hears RJ's voice in his helmet's audio feed. "Even with powers, we're not guaranteed to walk away with our lives. I'm sorry, Dom. There's no way for her to make it through this."_

_-EoD-_

_Will and the Overdrive Rangers watch on as Scorpina forces a captive to drink her blood._

_

* * *

_

_Rootcore_

Leelee heard the agonized screams before she even reached Rootcore, recognizing them as Clare's. Putting all thoughts of self-preservation behind her, she sprinted to the Mystic Rangers' base of operations, hoping this had nothing to do with the Rangers and the Mystics recently falling off the grid.

"Clare?" she called out with urgency as she made her way into the main area. "Where are you?"

The sorceress didn't respond, her sobs the only thing that could be heard. Matoombo and Itassis both knelt by her side, trying to hold her still, while Jenji stood silently a few feet away.

"Itassis, what's happening?" Leelee asked the former villainess, bracing herself for the worst.

"The whereabouts of the Rangers were somehow hidden from us," Itassis started. "Moments ago, we felt the shockwaves of a very powerful spell cast by Daggeron and Udonna, shockwaves that revealed to us their current location, shockwaves that could only have resulted from a spell in which they would have given all they had."

"What are you saying?" Leelee queried even though she felt she knew the answer already.

"They're gone," Clare barely managed to get out between sobs. "Udonna, Daggeron, Leanbow, Xander. They're all gone."

* * *

_Angel Grove_

Following the explosion that had leveled the quarry, almost all the remnants of the fight that had taken place were gone. The unmorphed bodies of those who had fallen prior to the blast had been turned to ashes by the scorching heat of the flames, scattered to the four winds, leaving behind their morphers. The Overdrive Rangers' humvee, similarly, had been torn apart from the inside, and was now nothing more than pieces of shrapnel strewn about, blending in with the sand in which they were partially buried.

As the dust settled on the sand, Dustin slowly emerged from the earth, unmorphed. Mere instants before the explosion, on Shane's cue, he had let himself drop down as far into the ground as he could, seeking the protection of his element. Although he'd sensed the blast above him, he'd been spared the brunt of it.

Once he was out, Dustin took a moment to survey his surroundings. Despite the smoke that covered the quarry, his eyes quickly found Tori's morpher, which was all that remained of his closest friend. Several feet away, he saw Shane's body lying facedown in the sand. The Red Wind Ranger was unmorphed, his powers having been unable to entirely withstand the force of the explosion. The Yellow Wind Ranger held his breath for a moment, hoping that he'd see the fallen Ranger move or give a sign of life, but he knew that was highly unlikely.

It was then that he heard coughs coming from behind him, from where the bomb had been. Someone else had apparently survived the blast.

"Hello?" Dustin called out tentatively, unable to see far enough in the distance to determine who was advancing towards him in the cloud of smoke. "Who's there?"

"Dustin?" a voice responded between coughs as a familiar figure came into view.

"Sky!" the Yellow Ranger exclaimed even as he ran to the Shadow Ranger's side, reaching him just in time to keep him from falling to the ground. "You survived! But how?"

"It was Udonna," Sky replied as they slowly walked away from the explosion's epicenter. "She told me she couldn't stand by again and watch as I gave my life for the greater good. Even as she kept feeding the force field that was meant to contain the blast, she channeled the remainder of her energy to form one around me, strong enough to protect me."

"And what about the others?" Dustin asked, even though deep inside, he felt that he already knew the answer.

"Dead," Sky answered simply. "I saw their bodies when I regained consciousness. They didn't stand a chance. Udonna, Daggeron, Flynn-"

"Flynn? That Blue Ranger? Who was he?" Dustin asked, suddenly recalling the stranger that had joined Sky and the Mystics before the explosion.

"He didn't have time to tell us much," Sky attempted to fill in the blanks. "He was able to freeze time around the bomb, buy a few extra seconds for all those who were trying to get away. He was sent to this time with his team, the RPM Rangers, and they'll be able to tell us more about what's going on."

"Assuming they survived the blast like we did," Dustin stated as they kept on walking in the direction everyone had taken off in.

* * *

"We're clear, Scott," Summer informed the RPM Rangers' leader when she was certain that they were out of the blast's reach.

The car carrying them both screeched to a halt, Scott pulling himself out of the vehicle as soon as it stopped moving. It wasn't long before Summer was also out, making her way to stand by his side. She saw that he was staring intently in the quarry's direction.

"Maybe he's still alive," Scott suggested, a sliver of hope in his voice. "We should go back."

"Flynn bought us as much time as he could," Summer replied. "He'll have diverted all of his Cell Shift Morpher's energy to do that, conserving nothing to try and protect himself from the explosion. You know that as much as I do."

Scott didn't say anything else. Words were unnecessary between them, as Summer knew exactly what was going through his mind. She could see it in the way his shoulders started to shake, in the way his breathing became ragged, in the way he began to break down.

The same thing had happened on the day they had first met. Scott had just lost his brother, Marcus, in a dogfight against Venjix's forces. Colonel Truman, Scott's father had dismissed his son upon learning the news of Marcus' death, and Summer had been the one left to tend to the young man's physical and emotional wounds. She remembered holding him in her arms, telling him to let the grief run its course, telling him that he didn't have to face this by himself. For hours, they'd sat in a silence that was only interrupted by occasional sobs and tears.

Now, it was the same thing all over again. Scott, the team leader, had lost one of his own. And more than that, he'd lost a friend who had become a brother to him, the third member of the trio that had initially been chosen to defend the city of Corinth. They had been so close. Surely, the pain he currently felt was just as great or even greater than what he'd felt after Marcus' demise.

Just as soon as she placed a hand over Scott's shoulder, she saw her friend, her own big brother, turn to her, with tears in his eyes. Fighting to control her own emotions, her own heart breaking from Flynn's loss and Scott's pain, Summer wrapped her arms around him, whispering the same words she had spoken to him shortly after their first encounter.

Her attention focused on Scott, she never heard the Fury approach. She only noticed it when it came to a stop a few feet away from them.

"Are you guys okay? Where's Flynn?" Dillon asked the moment he was out of the car, followed by the others.

Unable to find the words to answer the question, Summer could only look at them over Scott's shoulder and shake her head, her eyes welling with fresh tears.

* * *

Kelsey was one of the few who weren't knocked unconscious by the explosion. Fortunately for her, she hadn't sustained as much damage as some of the other Rangers during her team's battle against the Overdrive Rangers and Scorpina. She had also been somewhat shielded from the blast by Ryan, who had tackled her down to the ground as soon as the bomb had gone off.

The Yellow Lightspeed Ranger had found herself blinded for several moments by the cloud of smoke surrounding her, her powers giving out after some time. She was also unable to move, pinned down by something she couldn't see.

It was only after the smoke had cleared that she realized that Ryan was lying on top of her, unmorphed and unmoving.

"Ryan? Ry?" she asked her fiancé, using a free hand to nudge him gently, panicking when he didn't react. As her voice rose in both pitch and volume, it wasn't long before her teammates entered her limited field of vision. Joel and Carter each grabbed Ryan by an arm before carefully moving him to the side, lying him down on his back. Kelsey expected that Dana would then go to his side and attempt to bring him back, but the Pink Ranger could only look at her with tears in her eyes, shaking her head to let her know that there was nothing that could be done.

Kelsey fell silent then, falling back into Joel's arms as, a few feet away, Carter and Dana stood side by side in silence. It was then that she noticed another absence.

"Wh-where's Chad?" she managed to get out in a hushed whisper directed at Joel.

"I'm sorry, Kels, but he didn't make it," Joel said softly into her ear. "That blast he took to protect the Jungle Fury and Ninja Storm Rangers from Scorpina's attack earlier weakened him too much. His powers didn't hold up."

With both her fiancé and her best friend gone, Kelsey felt like her entire world was falling apart around her. Nothing could fix this.

* * *

Karone gazed in the direction of the Lightspeed Rangers, tears rolling down her cheeks. Over the years, she and Ryan had become particularly close friends, and that had led her to develop a close relationship with those important to him: Kelsey, Dana, Carter, Bill Mitchell. The pain she felt because of his death was only rivaled by the effects of this loss on his loved ones.

Sadly, she turned away to survey the damage done to her own team and Andros'. Miraculously, the Space Rangers had all managed to pull through without suffering further casualties. Apart from a few bruises and cuts, they all seemed to be physically fine, each of them trying to help out where they could.

The same couldn't be said of her own teammates. Leo, Mike, Maya and Damon were all silently gathered around Kai's body. The Blue Galaxy Ranger had taken a few hard hits during their battle against Tyzonn, in an effort to weaken him enough to make him vulnerable to an attack with the Lights of Orion. His efforts had paid off then, ensuring the fall of one of their enemies, but they'd come at the price of his powers not being strong enough to hold up against the incredible force of the explosion.

"I'm sorry about Kai, you guys," she said as she joined her teammates. "But we all know he wouldn't want us to be mourning him right now. Not when so many of our friends and allies need our help and our support."

Karone fell silent then, waiting to get a reaction from the other Galaxy Rangers. Her gaze soon found Leo's, who smiled sadly at her, nodding his acknowledgment. "She's right," he then said. "Let's do this for Kai."

Without another word, the others broke off, much like the Space Rangers had done, to offer assistance to those who needed it.

* * *

"Well, that didn't go exactly as we'd expected it would," Ronnie commented as the Overdrive Rangers took in the aerial footage of the area surrounding the quarry. "Damn."

"New players we weren't planning for," Rose commented, typing away on her keyboard. "Seven new connections to the Morphing Grid."

"A new team of Rangers?" Will asked. "It's been a while since one has popped up."

"I don't think so," Rose answered. "I'm also picking up on fluxes in the time stream. I'd say we're dealing with a team of Rangers from the future. I'll see what I can find out about them."

"It doesn't matter," Will commented with assurance. "This doesn't change anything. It all proceeds as planned. The Rangers will simply die later rather than sooner, along with everyone in the state of California."

"Speaking of the population of California," Dax slipped in, taking a glimpse at his watch, "we shouldn't keep our adoring fans waiting."

"Right," Will said with a smile, turning to address Scorpina as he and the Overdrive Rangers casually made their way to the chamber's entrance. "Send our little friend on that errand we talked about."

* * *

Conner regained consciousness, finding himself face down on the ground. The air was warm against his bare skin, his powers having barely managed to hold up after the explosion.

As dust particles continued to rain down on the sand, he managed to get up on his feet, thanking whatever higher power had been out there looking out for him. He had been meant to survive the explosion and he was going to make sure to right all the wrongs caused since this had all started.

Conner's eyes took in his surroundings and they were soon drawn to a figure lying motionless on the sand. He wasted no time reaching the young woman's side, carefully turning her over in order to be able to check her vital signs. Noticing the faint yet constant sounds of her breathing, he sighed in relief.

His gaze was then drawn to the familiar object strapped to her wrist, Kira's Dino Morpher. He knew that it had saved her life.

"Fran? Fran!" he heard a panicked voice call out from a few feet away, hearing the footfalls of the sprinting Rhino Ranger.

"She's okay, Dom," he said, looking up at the young man, seeing his expression go from one of worry to one of relief as he approached them and knelt by his girlfriend's side. "She's going to be just fine."

"Dom?" he then heard Fran whisper. The men both looked down as her eyes fluttered open, a small smile forming on her lips as she took notice that her boyfriend was also alive and well. "You're okay."

"As long as you're with me," Dom answered, helping her into a sitting position.

"Thank you," Fran then said, looking right into the Red Dino Ranger's eyes. "You saved my life."

Conner smiled warmly at Fran, taking notice of the gratefulness that was also evident in Dom's eyes. Soon after he'd pulled away from his teammates, before the explosion, he'd caught a glimpse of Dominic trying to get away from the quarry with Fran. He'd realized that there was no chance for her to survive the blast, since even morphed Rangers weren't guaranteed to live on. Conner had barely had to put any thought into what had to be done, doubling back to reach the quarry and retrieve Kira's morpher, getting back to Dominic and Fran with just enough time to slip the morpher on her wrist and take her through her first morph, in the hopes that it would keep her alive.

Luckily for the three of them, Conner's plan had paid off, and one less innocent had died this day on the field of battle.

* * *

Merrick had been the first of the Wild Force Rangers to recover from the blast. The Lunar Wolf Ranger, concerned above all else with his own teammates' well-being, had immediately started to seek them out, helping those in need while keeping an eye out for his own.

He'd first managed to track down Alyssa and Taylor, who were helping each other stand upright. Both women seemed to be physically unharmed, although their uniforms bore a few cuts and tears.

They then found Danny and Max, and the sight that had offered itself to them had been sufficiently heartbreaking to drop Alyssa down to her knees, Merrick following behind to wrap his arms tightly around the trembling White Tiger Ranger.

In front of them, Danny advanced slowly, holding the youngest Wild Force Ranger's lifeless body in his arms. Tears streamed down the Black Bison Ranger's face, even as he set the body down amidst the surviving members of his team.

In Merrick's arms, Alyssa became increasingly agitated. When the Lunar Wolf Ranger looked up to see how Taylor was faring, he was immediately struck by the grief in her eyes. It was a grief most likely greater than any of them was feeling. After all, Taylor, the original leader of the team, had lost not only Cole and Max, but she'd also lost the one she had started to regard as her soul mate, Eric. Merrick also noticed something else in Taylor's gaze, something that worried him greatly even though the sight of it did not surprise him. There was a desire in Taylor's eyes. A thirst for revenge.

* * *

"Syd, you okay?" Jack asked as he placed a hand on the Pink SPD Ranger's shoulder. She stood at a certain distance from the area where most of the Rangers were gathered, facing in the direction the blast had originated from.

"Yeah," she replied, turning to face him, a small smile on her lips, "I am."

"You sure?" Jack continued, surprised to see her so calm following Sky's self-sacrifice.

"You don't need to worry about me, Jack, really," Syd reassured B-Squad's former leader. "It's not the first time I've lost Sky. He came back to me then, he'll come back to me this time too. We'll make sure of it. Right, big brother?"

"Yeah, we will," Jack answered as he gave her a hug, amazed but in no way surprised by her genuine optimism and determination. This was the Sydney they all knew and loved, the heart and light of B-Squad.

"How are the others?" Syd asked once Jack let her go.

"Z and Sophie are both okay," Jack replied, grateful that no more members of B-Squad had lost their lives in the explosion. "Z was a little shaken until she found out that Danny pulled through."

"Poor Z," Syd said, looking in her roommate's direction. "It's enough that the current situation is hellish and that there are no guarantees that any of us will see another sunrise. Above all that, she has to keep this secret from the father she never got to know when this could be the only chance she'll ever get to do that."

"Z always put the greater good before herself, even in the days we were on the streets together," Jack stated. "It's just the way she is."

Before Syd could answer, they both heard the familiar chime of her Delta Morpher, an indication that someone was trying to contact them. "Hello?" she asked tentatively once she accepted the communication.

"Syd, it's me," Sky's voice came from the device. "I'm okay and I'm headed towards you right now, babe. Sky, out."

"What was that?" Z asked as she and Sophie approached their teammates, having no doubt picked up on the familiar chime that all their morphers emitted.

"Sky's alive!" Syd announced, beaming, before she took off in the direction he was most likely coming from, followed closely by other two girls. Jack watched them go, grateful that they were finally catching a break.

* * *

"Don't you dare die on me, Jen," Wes implored as Katie applied pressure to the stomach wound Jen had sustained when she'd landed on a sharp piece of rock. Despite their best efforts, she had already lost quite a bit of blood. "I've already lost Eric. I'm not going to lose you too."

"You'll never lose me, Wes," Jen managed to get out, forcing a smile despite the pain she was in. "We'll always find our way back to each other. Always believe that."

Jen then looked in turn at Katie, Lucas and Trip, fighting to stay conscious a few moments longer. "I don't want any of you to feel you could have saved me. I chose to stay in the present, I chose to make my own destiny. Always stand together. Always stay hopeful. I love you all."

She then returned her attention to Wes. Tears filled her eyes as she took in the fact that these would be their final moments together. She felt his embrace tighten as he leaned in for one last kiss, his tears warming her cooling skin. Wes will fix this, she thought in her final moments of clarity, before she fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

_Rootcore_

"Healing potions, supplies and spell books are all in these satchels" Itassis declared, pointing to bags on the floor. "Now that we know where the Rangers are all gathered and are ready to go and assist them, we should not waste another moment. Clare?"

As Itassis looked on, Clare started to throw various items in her cauldron. True, she and Matoombo could easily transport themselves to the quarry by their own means, but current circumstances demanded that they not leave the humans alone.

"Mom!" Itassis heard Leelee call out nearby. Turning, she saw the young woman run into Nikki's arms. "I thought you were in Angel Grove with Toby for the celebration. Something terrible has happened!"

The Master's former servant looked at the mother and daughter as the two exchanged a hug. She could feel that something was off, although she was unable to immediately pinpoint what it was. Sensing that Matoombo was tensing up a few feet away, she realized that she wasn't the only one feeling uneasy.

Her fears were all but confirmed when she heard Leelee cry out in pain, blood streaming down her back from her shoulder, where Nikki was hungrily feeding, eyes locked on the others gathered at Rootcore even as her appearance began to change.

"Necrolai!" Jenji called out, running to take cover behind the former Terrors.

"Let go of the child at once," Matoombo ordered, summoning his staff.

"As you wish," Necrolai answered once she stopped feeding off Leelee, letting go of her now lifeless body.

"Leelee!" Clare cried out.

"Focus on the teleportation spell," Itassis reminded the sorceress. "We'll keep her busy."

"I'd like to see you try," Necrolai spoke darkly as she advanced.

"Do not take another step forward, lest I swat you aside," Matoombo warned, instants before he charged Necrolai.

"Matoombo, no!" Itassis called out. "She's much more powerful than before! She wasn't turned by human blood!"

Itassis' words came too late. Necrolai easily dodged a swipe of Matoombo's staff before she knocked the weapon out of his grip. She then fired off energy coils that ensnared her attacker, holding him in place.

Matoombo screamed as Necrolai sank her fangs into his neck, draining away his life force and stealing his powers, augmenting her own.

"There is no time to complete the transportation spell, Clare," Itassis said to Clare as her weapon materialized in her hand. "You and Jenji must leave this place, now, or you will both die."

"But what about you?" Clare asked.

"I will try to hold Necrolai off as long as possible, buy you time," Itassis answered with resolve. "Go."

Clare and Jenji ran out just as Necrolai finished feeding on Matoombo.

"You know you cannot defeat me, Itassis," Necrolai declared, leaning her head to the side, "and yet you choose to face me. Why is that?"

"Courage," Itassis responded, recalling the words once spoken to her by Nick. "It's when you put someone else's wellbeing before your own. You wouldn't understand it."

Resigned to her destiny, weapon held high, Itassis charged Necrolai.

* * *

_Angel Grove_

Looking around, Jason saw teams coming together both to help others out and to mourn their fallen. His own heart was heavy for the losses sustained on this day, though he was grateful that no more of his friends had fallen because of the explosion. Most of them were currently busy trying to make themselves helpful, although Tanya was attempting to console Rocky and Kat nearby.

"Jason?" Billy called out behind him. He turned to face his former teammate, bracing himself for the worst. A simple nod let him know he could go on.

"The casualties weren't nearly as bad as expected," Billy began. "I can't explain it just yet, but it seems the explosion was delayed, giving most of us sufficient time to reach a safe distance before the bomb went off. Still, the powers of those who sustained important damage during battle weren't able to hold up."

"The casualties?" Jason asked.

"It's difficult to say with certainty," Billy continued. "Not everyone has been accounted for just yet. In this area, where most of us are gathered, I can confirm that we've already lost Kai, Chad, Ryan and Max. It also seems that Jen, among others, won't make it."

"Among others?" Jason questioned, picking up on Billy's deliberate choice of words, knowing that the original Blue Ranger, even in a time a crisis, was always able to word his thoughts with the utmost clarity.

"The blast caught many people off guard," Billy explained, dropping his gaze down to the ground, digging something out of his pocket. "I was thrown with great velocity into a rock formation. My powers held up, but…"

Billy didn't speak another word, choosing instead to show Jason what he now held in his hand. The Power Ruby, power source of the Phantom Ranger, and the one thing that could keep Billy's rapid aging in check while he was away from Aquitar, had been shattered.

_To be continued..._

* * *

_So, that was chapter 20. Surprisingly, even though it took forever to go up, the greater part of it was written over the last two days. I really wanted to give a little New Year's present to everyone who's been reading so far. So, to everyone reading this, thank you and I wish you all the best._

_At this point, we're pretty much at the mid-point of the story. Everything so far has led to this big explosion that no one would have survived had it not been for the sacrifice made by Flynn. From this point forward, expect more darkness, but also an eventual sliver of hope...  
_

_A quick note on the chapters deaths. Once again, we've lost quite a few beloved characters. Personally, Jen ranks in the top for me where female Rangers are concerned. Ryan's another personal favorite that it pained me to kill off. You could argue that neither contributed much to the story, but I will tell you to keep an eye out for their significant others to see the impact of these deaths. That will be particularly important as we enter the second half of the story, as we will start seeing a divide form among the survivors, a divide wide enough that two former teammates will come to blows in an upcoming chapter..._

_Coming up in Chapter 21, the survivors regroup and seek refuge, the Overdrive Rangers crash a celebration, and a few supporting characters might make a cameo..._

_Huge thanks to everyone who reviewed since Chapter 20 went up: 100TenMillion, Michelle, RPM Shadow, SilverDragonRanger09, Red Shadow Ranger, ImaSupernaturalCSI, andyg2525, SlothKeeper, MagCat, hawaii50girl, the true elec, Harley McCoy, taylorearhardtmyers, Lina, Traitor-Hero, mobobby, Kalanna Dae, PenB, GemmaUzumaki, dillonforever, SPD Time Shadow, abutterfly'sshadow & TealCrystalCAT._

_Until next time!_

_project314_


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